Chiba OreGairu vs Chicago RomCom
by RalphZiggy
Summary: Two parallel universes, only 1 mm apart in the fifth dimension, each having a place where things are going wrong as expected. Doppelgangers in another world's Chicago exist for our beloved characters in Chiba. A mysterious machine will tie the two places together
1. Chapter 1

**And now we try to write a story like a high schooler. Try.**

 **(thanks to some_chinese_guy for pointing out mangling of Karp name)**

Chiba _Dramatis Personae_ vs. Chicagoland Peeps

(Extremely similar in appearance to their counterparts, even though Americans come from various ethnic backgrounds, many personality traits are also shared though some striking contrasts exist too. And with a wave of my virtual pen everyone in 8man's grade on the USA side is 18 years of age or older if that makes anyone feel better.)

Shizuka (scent) → **Ms. Fiori** (flowers), well stacked Italian American old maid hungry for a hubby, school counselor and English Lit teacher at Red Oak Academy in the North Side of chicago. She drives a Ferrari 458 Italia on a teacher's salary causing Mafia family tie rumors. Smoker, wino and otaku who knows Kung Fu. Ms. Fiori is not PC when it comes to talking to other Italians such as 8man. _Author's note, I have beloved Italian relatives and friends, no disrespect intended, they do use joking light slurs and stereotypes to each other just for fun_

Hachiman (Eight Banners) → **Augustus "Gus or 8man" Octavius** (born eighth), shifty-eyed Italian American loner edgelord, has cowlick that won't comb down, he is action anime otaku so is member of the Japanese club mostly to get coupons for merch and learn Japanese since he's totally a weebo, number three student in Writing and Lit, also in Volunteer Club because Ms. Fiori said she'd "kick his wop ass up and down the hall" if he didn't join

Komachi (town belle) → **Belle** , 8man's cute little sister, 8man has Obsessive Protective Disorder for little sis. Anyone messes with her, or if any boy tries to hook up with her, 8man will beat their ass down

Yui (tie) → **Qiana** (silk-like sash), very cute, upbeat and popular African American girl into hiphop and pop, has hair bun, she is romance anime otaku in the Japanese club and also a weebo, also in Volunteer club. She is in Hawk's clique.

Yukinoshita (under the snow) Yukino (Snowy) → **Afraa** (white) **Baraf** (Snow), aka "Snow White" or " **Snowy** ", Pakistani American girl, tall and petite with hair past her butt, whose father is multi-millionaire owner of IT services empire Engram-Microtech, President of the Volunteer club, she is smart and beautiful and she knows it. She is rich arrogant ice queen snob bitch who ruins the grading curve for everyone. Though born in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, she speaks more asian languages than Guugle Translate because brains

Haruno (spring-like) → **Rabia** (spring), Snowy's over friendly and seductive sister, can do anything Snowy can even better and did it first. Short purple hair. Studying biotech at IIT's downtown Chicago campus

Isshiki Iroha (color) - **Rainbow** , Ginger Irish-American Master of Sly

Ebina Hina (plants in sun) → **Radiance** , WASP hippie, gets off on gay erotica

Tobe Kakeru (to fly) → **Yonah** (dove), boisterous curly redheaded Jewish-American soccer star, in Hawk's clique

Hayato (falcon) → **Shaheem** (falcon) " **Hawk** ", Pakistani-American big man on campus, sports star and second in grades only to Snowy. Most girls crave what only the Hawk can give, but he isn't putting out . Childhood friend of Snowy, Hawk's family does legal work for the Baraf's.

Miura (three bays) → **Bahia** (Bay), dead sexy stuck-up blond latina in Hawk's clique, has the hots for Hawk. Campus Queen.

Kawasaki Saki (hope) → **Nadejda** (hope) aka **Nat** ", white haired Russian American girl, tall grumpy yet very mature girl who gets good grades in science and math. Loves her largish family.

Totsuka Saika (colorful flower) → **Кarpos** (fruit), pretty white haired Russian American who at least self-identifies as a guy though no one is really sure, friend of Qiana, loves tennis but strategically uses towel and shower steam in men's locker room to keep biological gender in doubt

Sagami Minami (south) – **Dimona** (southern people) red haired red nailed Jewish American girl with red earrings who once was the kind to be popular and stand out, soon she'll have a change of heart after slacking as leader of CultureFest, she made Snowy to nearly work herself to death so 8man got in her face

* * *

 **Fake Confessions Are Not the Same in Chicago, Neither is RomCom :**

We sat in the Volunteer's Club, doing the same-o. Snowy and I reading on our Kindles, Qiana humming pop toonz as she texted on her Moto X wearing earbuds. Sipping a bottle of the drink of the gods, Sunbucks Mocha Frappuccino, I watched Snowy's petite tight body pour black coffee for herself and Qiana on the sly.

There was a knock on the door. "You may enter", said Snowy, who always talked a bit off being a brain and a Northwest suburban rich bitch.

Pretty boy Hawk and one of his homies Yonah came in the door smiling, but then Yonah saw me.

"Wait a sec, I'm not talking about my biz in front of Octopus, guy would have to be batshit crazy to trust him".

"While I can't deny Augustus might have been in the wrong during CultureFest….maybe leaving the room is appropriate", Snowy considered thoughtfully with her hand on her chin. She always used my real name.

Hey fucktard, it's Octavius if you're going to use my last name, Agustus my real first and "Gus" what even my family and relatives use, and seriously everyone is still butt-hurt about the smackdown I put on Dimona? I didn't say anything out loud, just sighed and pushed my chair back to leave like the outcast I was. Like I gave a shit about Yonah's problems anyway.

"Just a minute Augustus, where do you think you are going", asked Snowy.

"Thought you wanted me to leave", I said, not sore at her at all considering how most people react to me. I could hear another bottle of the Mocha Frap held hostage by the vending machine calling for rescue anyway.

"I was suggesting THEY leave. If people can't show manners or basic courtesy, I don't see why we should be doing requests for them".

"Just a sec. Look Octopus, I'm sorry I dissed you, can you help a bro out here?", Yonah had his hands in mock prayer pose.

"OK, fine", I replied settling back in my seat but now jonesing for a Mocha Frap.

It turned out Yonah had a thing for the gay-lit loving hippie Radiance, and wanted to confess his love to her during our class trip to the Garfield Park Conservatory, which was a huge set of greenhouses with paths and bridges and exotic plants. This kind of thing wound up Qiana and made her starry eyed, she talked Snowy into having the club be a wingman for Yonah.

Later Radiance came in and said she had a question about Yonah, Qiana was bouncing off the walls by then. But then Radiance started going all over the board, imagining gay love trianges, rectangles, hexagons...always with me at the bottom of the pile as the "catcher". My tailpipe hurt just thinking about it. Then she became serious and said she worried things in her group seemed to be changing, and she didn't like it. "But I do like that you're getting along better with our clique, Octopus". She then left, leaving us going WTF wuz dat?

"Hey Snowy, it's almost time to go home, do you want to go hang out at the mall now?", asked Qiana.

I texted Snowy from my Kindle, these latest models had all the essential apps! "IWSN"

"I'm sorry Qiana, tonight I'm too busy. How about tomorrow evening?"

"wfm" came back from Snowy.

Yes! And so sorry Qiana. I knew Qiana had a thing for me, and yes she was wonderful and beautiful. But I kind of had to string her along, playing a guy clueless about romantic matters as a cover-up to what was going on in the club under everyone's noses.

No one knew, no one could know, especially gossipy Qiana, of Snowy and I being a thing. Snowy's family would shit bricks if they found out, probably put concrete overshoes on me and dump my carc into Lake Michigan from the family yacht! This thing between Snowy and me started after our class trip to a robotics company, when I told Qiana not to be too nice to me just because I saved her dumb-ass wiener dog Sable. She had run off crying and stopped coming to club for a time. That was when Snowy and I, alone in the room, got into some silly debate over this or this as usual, but that time things really heated up with us getting close to each other's faces and it ended up with us doing the horizontal mambo on the clubroom table. We kept spray cleaner, paper towels, wipes, plastic bags and air freshener in the rear cabinet of the club after that, for "quickies" when Qiana not there. Poor Qiana ate off that table without knowing. So sorry Qiana. By the way sure hope Ms. Fioni learns to knock, now _that_ would be bad!

* * *

"I'm home!", I yelled. I had dinner with my family and then locked myself in my room "to study". I changed into my "work uniform", navy cap, pants, jacket with cleaning company logo and a light blue shirt. I didn't actually have a job, to work is to lose! Instead I slid open my bedroom window and slipped out, putting the window back down but unlatched. I took the Purple line to Howard station, then the Red Line to near Wriggly Field, walked a mile to Lake Shore Drive and went in a service entrance of a posh high-rise condo building with a copy of a key I once "borrowed" from the property management office, just like a real maintenance man. Snowy's family lived in the suburb of Winnetka in a multi-million dollar mansion, so they bought a place for her in the city for a shorter commute to school, rich family's solution to first world rich girl's problem.

Snowy was an extremely moral and self-righteous girl, but the morals didn't come from any religious or philosophical book but were of her own making. She believed in her right to have a lover in a responsible way as much as she believed in other's rights to be free from theft or lying or other ill treatment from any other human.

Snowy and I studied first, we were both serious students. At least about writing and lit I was, math and science not my forte. Then we got busy, she left only her white-topped black stockings on because I liked it that way.

My iPhone rang, it was Qiana. I pushed Snowy's deep kiss out of my mouth and answered.

"Eighty, could you watch Sable for the holiday weekend. I could drop him off Friday night". "Eighty" was her made-up nickname for me. I learned to just deal with it.

Snowy kept trying to resume the kiss while I replied. I was turning my head this way and that to avoid Snowy invading my mouth again while talking, and getting a nice soft cat bath of my cheeks in the process as we both tried not to LOLZ. Snowy was a lot like a cat sometimes, she loved cats too but couldn't have one as a family member was allergic.

After hanging up, our party for two rebooted.

* * *

Early in the morning I woke before Snowy, actually with half of me covered with Snowy, and I left and sneaked out the service entrance and retraced my steps, at home changing clothes going to breakfast with my family in my pajamas. I'd sleep nearly two more hours later that day in study hall and a class I was acing, so there would be no problem.

The Club closed its doors early, we took the Green Line to the Conservatory and scoped it out.

"This is the best spot, it has to be here", we found a a walkway with low lights along the ground, asian plants mixed with tall bamboo on each side.

Qiana went to hang out with Snowy at the mall, and I returned home.

* * *

The next day things got weird, Hawk and Radiance asked to speak with me, explaining that Radiance just wasn't ready for dating, the thought made her too embarrassed and that the only thing that would happen is that their clique might be torn up. But they didn't want to crush Yonah's feelings either, Radiance said maybe later she might be able to date him. Could I help them? I texted Snowy about the issue, she just smugly replied, "Come up with a solution, Augustus, you're the best of us at doing that". At least she trusted me.

The day of the field trip arrived. Hawk's homies and groupies at one end of the walkway, the Volunteer Club at the other. Radiance and Yonah shyly approached each other.

I jumped in front of Yonah.

"Radiance, I've loved you for a long time baby, would you go out with me?"

Radiance smiled, glad I had solved the problem for now, "I'm sorry, but right now I'd tell anyone who asked my out no. I'm just not ready for that yet".

I returned to my club members, Snowy was trying to preserve her dignified persona as she covered her face with a visitor's guide, but the top of her head was shaking up and down with laughter. Qiana had tears in her eyes, "Eighty you big JERK, could you think how others might feel when you pull your stupid shit?" She ran off crying.

Snowy started laughing aloud, doubled over holding her side with one arm and slapping my side with the other, "Augustus, you really are such an ass! Oh my god you slay me!"

Snowy looked around and gave me a surreptitious kiss.

"I'll act angry toward you today, but I'll make it up to you tonight", she whispered and then licked the interior of my ear.

Oh the sacrifices I had to made for the sake of the Club, I should be nominated for sainthood!


	2. Portal

**Special Activities Building, Sobu High School, Chiba, Japan**

"So you came today as well", Yukinoshita spoke in a monotone.

"Yes, I did"

I sit down opposite an unhappy ice queen, her hair looking somewhat less kempt than normal, and her expression was sour. A pang of regret at what I had broken hit me again, though maybe my very nature meant things couldn't be any other way, that with my fake confession to Ebina I caused an inevitable reset in the direction of a proper equilibrium that would be even less comfy than now. For though Yui had seemed to already forgive me, yet by her manner I could tell she was stressed.

Extracting paper from my bag, I began to rewrite an essay, the first submission of which was rejected by Sensei. I tried to ignore the bitter face, and the sound of pages being turned at a somewhat faster tempo and crisper manner than was normal.

 _There is anxiety over events and the future, but there is a special kind generated between humans. Anxiety between people is like tension in a spring, the force proportional to the difference between another's mental image of us, and the reality we fear they will discover about ourselves. As part of Japanese culture, we are taught to wear masks for different situations, the self of school and the workplace and the family and the public all different. We are even taught how we should esteem ourselves. All these are the endpoints for those springs of anxiety with their varying weights on our inner selves._

 _We could propose a kind of thought experiment, where doppelgangers of ourselves live in some alternative world, maybe in a village that values releasing anxiety, always wanting to keep it to a minimum. This would be done by intimate communication and deep understanding that people voluntarily kept with family, friends and acquaintances. And suppose we could meet those other selves of ours, who knew our deepest fears and secrets kept from those closest to us. Could they heal us of anxiety by speaking with us of our self-deceptions and strains against fellow humans? Could we bear listening to them? And even if we found relief for a time, would we re-wrap ourselves in angst believing we needed it like a toddler imagines he needs a favorite blanket? If that would be our reaction, then it would constitute proof the loner lifestyle is best._

"Yahello!", exclaimed Yui after she slid the door open and bounded into the room like a puppy excited at everything and anything, though I felt certain moments before she had steeled herself and taken a deep breath for the effort of entering the club just as she did yesterday when I was behind her.

Yukino looked up with a fake smile newly embossed onto her face.

* * *

 **The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia Illinois**

We had a two-fer for field trips, the next day we took buses out west to Fermilab where my Aunt also happened to work. The hollow inside of the lab's main building, Wilson Hall, always looked to me like a cross between a cathedral and a secret base that would have a giant mecha hang in that space. After tours we went to a circular auditorium for a lecture on WIMPS. No not weakly guys but instead WIMPS were ghostly particles that made the Milky Way much heavier than expected even they though they drifted right through our world without our noticing, or something like that. Snowy was starry eyed, physics pumping her up the same way Qiana was about romance requests. We were then supposed to go to an exhibit on a crossover between the two building halves in the rear, but at Mom's insistence I sneaked away toward the office of my Aunt Helena Edwardo.

A voice boomed right behind me as I reached Aunt Helena's office, "Caesar Augustus, to what holy chamber has our quest led!?". I turned and looked into a (too-familiar) big face with square black glasses, white hair with ponytail, overcoat (even indoors!) and jogging weights on his forearms.

 _Zaimokuza Yoshiteru (crystal ball of abundant luck) → **Felix** (lucky) **"Zimo" Zimolak** , Czech-American otaku, weebo, chuunibyou, delusional adolescent who is heavyset. Does well in judo and wrestling, he's a powerhouse when motivated_

"Zimo, are you stalking me, and ya know you could get in deep shit leaving the class!" Of course I was in the same boat actually.

"Come on in boys", Aunt Helena motioned for us to come inside. I gave her regards from Mom and told her everyone at home was doing OK. She talked with an increasingly pumped Zimo about comic books for a few minutes too, somehow divining Zimo would be into that big time. Yup Aunt Helena was a comic book nerd, one of the many things that made her so cool.

When I would visit she always tried to get me fired up about physics and electrical engineering for some reason, and I would always listen politely though that really really wasn't my thing. I should introduce her to Snowy, right now she was downstairs showing her true power level. She was just outside the exhibit area going a mile a minute with two old physicists about WIMPS, all three of them spewing diagrams with wavy lines and arrows, equations with Greek letters, upside down and right side up triangles and long thin curvy snakes on a wall with white board paint.

Come to think of it, since when could Snowy hit it off with total strangers, from what she had told me about her past life that never happened! Though those physicists were old farts, maybe really old people didn't come under the same category to Snowy as most people for some reason. I'd ask her about that sometime.

Aunt Helena's main job was designing things on a computer, usually giant magnets with sections of windings like sections of fruit cut in half. But she sometimes made other things by hand too, a long stretch of her wrap around desk had soldering iron and circuit boards and test equipment.

She noticed our gaze falling to some translucent gray cubes on the far corner of her desk, lit by the light of the sun through the window. A fiber optic cable came out of the top of each. There were thousands of little black lines zigzagging past thousands of little black specks in those boxes too.

"Ah those things, seemed almost to be working for a week but they turned out to be useless as tits on a nun.". Aunt Helena could be crude at times. "They were supposed to amplify WIMP interactions with normal matter and make WIMPS visible, so to speak.|", We nodded like a good boys but I for one didn't know what the hell she was saying, "But here, there is something interesting about them you boys might like"

She then pulled a banana out of a paper bag, and grabbed her ceramic coffee mug and put both in the middle of her desk. She shut her office door, turned off the lights and closed the blinds. Her office was fairly dark now though I could still see.

"They've been charged by sitting in the sunlight, now look what happens when I put radioactive sources by them." The banana made a hazy pink glow appear in the cube, slowly rippling like ink poured into moving water, from the banana to the center, and the coffee mug a light pulsing blue that slowly expanded. Once in a while colored streaks appeared sometimes forking like lighting bolts in slow motion, Aunt Helena said those were from a cosmic rays from space, usually the centers of atoms. Those would hit other atoms in the atmosphere or on the earth, and make many other particles.

"Scintillation is when a material gives off a flash of light when a charged or high energy particle strikes them. These cubes have a very special kind of scintillator, that has a delayed response due to Extreme Delay Stimulated Emission. They also were supposed to interact with WIMPS and supersymmetric particles, if they exist, and scintillate with them but in the end they never did"

I still didn't know what she was on about, but these cubes were cool!

"You can and Zimo can each take a couple of these detectors if you would like. These haven't been exposed to beam-on so they're not activated. That means not made radioactive. And here's a couple for your girlfriend, Gus. I really want to meet her but I have to go in a few minutes. You can just let these cubes sit in the bright sun for an hour to recharge them when they go dim."

We pocketed cubes, my not commenting on fact they each had stickers warning "Property of the United States Department of Energy", Aunt Helena lived on a whole different level from how the world does things. We gave her enthused thanks, Zimo for "the portal stones of The Second Sight". Anyway the day wasn't a total loss after getting these. I was sure Snowy would just love them, maybe even more than that Shrek plushie I had won for her back when we were shopping for Qiana's birthday present. Nah, on second thought she was a total Shrek-shipper.

 **Red Oak Academy, Chicago IL**

We were busted!

I had shown the cubes to Snowy while we were waiting for Qiana, her already prominent and powerful eyes became like "anime eyes", wide and moist and sparkling as she took her two cubes. Before returning to her seat on impulse jumped into my lap and put her arms around my neck and was kissing me madly when….

The clubroom door slid open, Snowy looked over my shoulder and scolded "Ms. Fiori, knock!"

...Yeah, we were were busted big time.

Qiana was next to a grinning Ms. Fiori, very sad face looking down. She turned to go down the hall, and I thought for sure she was going to run off, but all of a sudden her face returned to normal and she smiled.

"It's alright", Qiana finally said. "I'm glad you two could become close. You two always synced and had your special chemistry, when you guys do your your back-and-forth it's like, you two were together in your own little world"

Miss Fiori, while smirking didn't comment on our extracurricular activity at all, "I can talk to you guys later about a project coming up, my question wasn't a big deal anyway." She turned and strode off.

Snowy stood up and invited Qiana to sit down while making coffee. "Let's talk about Augustus and myself. I also have a request for you, Qiana"

After we talked with Qiana about our relationship for a while, Snowy told her how things were with her family, that they would never accept Snowy dating any guy, let alone with a weirdo like me. So Qiana promised to keep our secret.

"So Snowy and Eighty, do you two think of yourselves as in love, or one-on-one dating, or what?", asked Qiana

Snowy and I both laughed.

"We've talked about that, right now we say we're "friends with special privileges", we wonder about how close we'd have to be to call things "love" or if we're even old enough to truly be in love. But we're doing things our own way and at our own pace, we're not the kind to worry about other's labels for what we're doing", I answered.

"Indeed that is so", agreed Snowy.

"Oh, so that's how it is. Yes that's so like you two", said a thoughtful Qiana. She then made a funny little smile and I wondered what she was thinking. Then her face was back to normal.

"Eighty, I'm still your first friend, right?", Qiana asked me

"Yes Qiana, you'll always be my first friend"

"I'm so glad, Eighty! And I'm always Snowy's first friend!" She gave Snowy one of her surprise attack hugs.

Snowy showed Qiana the cubes and its little light tricks.

"So pretty, Snowy, it's like a boxy electric snow globe!" Qiana always did have her own unique way of looking at new things.

We agreed to go see a movie and hang at the mall together after club was over.

* * *

Making out and "quickies" in the clubroom we agreed were now off the table, instead we were on the roof with my arms around Snowy, her silky long hair tickling my arms, hands massaging her butt and thighs toned so fine from horseback riding (Chicago-area rich girl hobby), and we had just started kissing when...

A cough came from above us, from the water tower on the roof. I released my arms from Snowy, and turning my eyes skyward saw black lace panties under a miniskirt. Then I more politely focused on Nat's face with its beauty mark, she was smoking a cigarette.

She blew a trail of smoke, then grumpily said "Get a room, you two". Yeah she was our school's very own Queen of Grumpy.

Taking another drag on her cancer stick, she then said slowly, "Snowy and Gus, I appreciate what you guys did, and Gus telling me about scholarships. Things are much better with my family now".

"We are glad we could provide assistance", said Snowy, always clumsy and a bit off in the way she spoke, because brains and because introvert except with Qiana and me.

"No problem, Nat, glad it's all good now", I nodded.

We gave her a wave, and I grinned at Snowy and took her hand, there was this janitor's closet I remembered from my explorations of the Special Activities Building that had a broken lock….

* * *

All our lives would change with the next day, that's the cubes started acting up.

Snowy and I were reading on our Kindles, Qiana happily twiddling with her phone and very softly singing some soul music. Very bright flashes of light had started coming out of both our bags. We put our cubes onto the table, besides the bursts of white-blue there waves of black that cast shadows into the room.

Dah Fuck?

"Let me ask Aunt Helena", I pulled out my iPhone since my Kindle didn't have her address and I never did bother learning about "syncing" the two, being ever energy conservative ("lazy procrastinator trash" Snowy had once disagreed, hey did you really have to add the trash bit?) A reply to my email came.

 _From: htedwardo AT_

 _Subject: Out of Office Reply_

 _Re: cubes going apeshit_

 _I am currently out of the office at LNGS and then CERN, returning November 15._

 _If you require immediate assistance contact Accelerator Division Deputy Director John Fritzer…._

That's right, Aunt Helena did say she was looking forward to going back to the "Old Country" for some lectures and workshops, then on to Switzerland.

Faint orange rectangles grew out of the cubes, joining each cube to its sibling. The cubes then rolled on their own toward each other, stacked into a diamond formation on edge in the middle of the table. Now that made my skin crawl!

My scrambled brain was trying to decide if we all should stay and watch the show, or shit our collective britches, or GTFO. A coalition of the GTFO party was starting to hold a national convention between my ears, though the Britches Shitters were going door to door to get a petition signed.

Qiana was just amazed, clapping and going "oooo! Magic! So pretty!". Snowy also didn't seem fazed at all. She reached into her bag, pulling out things I knew she was using for her science project. A usb hub along with a "USB rad counter" and a "USB remball", she had called those two things. She plugged everything together and into her Kindle's USB port. Tapping the screen she said, "there is no ionizing radiation, and nothing here shows signs of being activated. We're probably safe".

I finally sighed, well if our club's two beautiful young women weren't scared I'd just have to suck it in and be a man.

A pyramid of a slight white light grew from the diamond-shaped assembly of cubes, toward the white board at the front of the club, somehow reminding me of a theater movie projector.

A 3D image took shape there, that was eerily familiar. Three asian uniformed high schoolers sitting in a room very much like ours, in fact in the way we usually sat. An unhappy girl looking like Snowy but eastern rather than south asian and with red rather than white hair ribbons, a girl with back to us with pink hair bun like Qiana, and…and... that rotten eyed dude at the end….

Holy Jesus Joseph and Mary and Three Wise Guys! NO WAY! No FUCKING way!

"Hey they look a lot like us, don't they! Hey there! Hi!', Qiana was waving. Unbelievable how this girl always would shine friendliness and love toward everyone, even strangers. One of the gifts she had that Snowy and I didn't, also she was like an ambassador able to get people who disagreed to work together.

Snowy, still cool as a cucumber, had pulled out her HTC Android phone, tapped and dragged on its screen, then leaned it on a book with back pointed in the cubes' and my direction. Probably to use the camera for something but what? Voices in Japanese suddenly came from her phone, the soundtrack for the projected display. Voices that Qiana and I could understand from our weebo language lessons at the Japanese club (the better to appreciate our anime, of course!), and it should be no surprise Snowy spoke at least half a dozen asian languages besides a pile of European ones.

That asian version of me spoke, the voice much like recordings of my own voice, "Well, you don't need to fret about it. As long as we conduct ourselves normally that would be the best, right?"

"We should act like normal…right….", said a Japanese version of Qiana's voice from the pink haired girl who was turned toward that asian clone of me, my surprise-o-meter already pegged so the fact that was a Japanese Qiana couldn't possibly be any more unusual now could it?

That Japanese Snowy had her eyes boring into that 8man, and it gave me chills. That dude is in deep shit with her, he's definitely sleeping in the doghouse tonight, for I knew that pissed look all too well.

"Normal, eh…? That is correct. To you, that would be normal.", that asian Snowy's voice and eyes were making my blood into liquid nitrogen. If someone had punched me then, I'm sure I would have shattered. Hey Japanese 8man, you somehow really REALLY fucked up major with your Japanese Snowy, didn't you?

"…Yeah.", that 8man of the East should have been on his hands and knees by now, beating his face on the floor like a contrite sinner motherfucker, begging that red ribboned Snowy's forgiveness. Not blowing her off like he had exactly zero shits to give. What in the hell was his malfunction?

"...Nothing will change, right?", Japanese Snowy said in resigned tone.

A single knock followed by sliding door sounded behind me. All the FX were gone instantly, the cubes clattered to the table like kid's blocks. Snowy reached over and scooped them into her bag even before the footsteps came from behind me, her reflexes like a cat's as usual.

"Hey you kids, I have need a word with you", said Ms. Fiori, leading a ginger-haired freshman girl and the StuCo prez into the room.


	3. Triangle

Qiana, Snowy and I took the Blue Line to the Uberweis on Milwaukee Avenue, we sat eating ice cream sundaes to chill after all that freaky shit with the cubes. Oh yeah there was also that cute little freshman girl Rainbow's request with her being nominated by girls being bitch-bullies for running for StuCo president; however that was not the issue right now.

"Snowy, do you know what happened?", asked Qiana

"Our cubes linked up with something similar to themselves near those three students, WIMPS were being converted to light and other EM, and vice versa even from their direction to our world"

"Those WIMP things again huh", said Qiana. I was so proud of her to have paid attention at Fermilab, she like me didn't care much for science but it was good to know that we both were not a waste of the taxpayer's dollars that day.

"Wait you said it was two-way, why didn't they see us?", I wondered.

"The detectors over there like our cubes here in Chicago weren't in that room, maybe in a room or even hallway display case near theirs", asserted Snowy.

"Why did they look like us? Are there really students just like us in Japan", Qiana had asked the $100,000 question.

"That wasn't Japan, or it is more accurate to say, not this world's Japan", Snowy spoke matter-of-factly about something that should have made the world screech to a halt if it got out in the news.

"How do you know that wasn't really Japan", I asked.

"The frequencies employed by their cell phones were different than world standards that Japan also respects", trivia like that was expected from our Snowipedia. She hated that nicknamed, was OK with felinepedia though.

"Why did the cubes move together, that was right out of Poltergeist", looking back I think my cowlick might have stood straight up.

"Electromagnetic attraction from converted WIMP EM analogues. ", OK Snowy you're starting to go full geek mode, keep it Discovering-Channel documentary level please.

"Say what?", I asked.

"Some of the WIMPS were changed into a magnetic field, that made the cubes stick together", Snowy giving a dumbed down version for us plebes. "And I'm wondering if some even changed into a gravitational field, that would be….beyond wonderful", Snowy had the look of a deer in headlights.

"How did you make it so we could hear their voices, aren't sounds just vibrations in air?", I was amazed I remembered that much.

"Why Augustus, I'm so glad to find your ears aren't as rotten as your eyes. It happened I could with my phone's camera see in the cubes those vibrations acting on the glass of their room"

"But when Ms. Fiori opened the door, everything stopped", said Qiana.

"That brass plated oak door is to our North in the club room, the brass plates partially shielded the cubes from the Earth's magnetic field, when the door was opened the field disrupted the phenomenon." If you say so Snowy, did I ever tell you how amazing you are. Well, I don't want to inflate your ego too much, it's planet sized already.

"Augustus, Qiana, I have a request", she continued.

"I'd love to go study physics in college, but that is a different path in life than what my very controlling mother wants for me. She has another plan that I don't intend to follow exactly. Thanks to some ideas from Augustus," she smiled toward me with that smile that still made my heart jump, "I'm planning a way I can negotiate with Mother to get what I want but still respect the family's needs."

"So could we please keep the cube's abilities secret for now? I'd like to study them and make a paper that I hope will get some notice in the theoretical physics world. Then make my case to my family for letting me study physics"

"Of course, Snowy. That sounds like a great plan", I said.

"You bet, Snowy!", added Qiana.

* * *

From making push-powered go-carts, tree houses and model railroading since as a kid, I had some skills for building things. Snowy had asked me to make a special rack to hold the cubes, to be fastened under the clubroom table to the right of Qiana, with conduit for electrical cords and fiber that led to Snowy's end of the table.. Some bright LED lights would keep the cubes charged. And then there was need of a thing that was my final touch, that made me so proud.

We had these ugly three heavy brass quail sculpture-decoration things that my mom just hated, a gift from an uncle that never came around any more. They were like three kilos each. Out of guilt, my family kept them though as makeshift bookends on a shelf, in case that crazy uncle should ever show again. Well there was the third unused one that sat next to his triplet brother, and I chose him to make a noble sacrifice for science and for Snowy's future PhD in physics. I pried the felt and wood off the bottom of the odd one, took it outside, heated it up red hot with torch inside a little house of bricks I put together, then started to beat it into a square plate with a hammer. My suggestion to Snowy to liberate and modify brass from another Special Activity Building door was vetoed while she pressed fingertips to forehead.

"Bro, what are you doing?", my world's cutest little sister Belle asked from the window. I often made things noisily, she didn't think it unusual I was beating things with a hammer, just a little curious.

"Hi Belle, just making a metal plate for a school science project", I replied.

"Oh, I was hoping it would be something cool for the railroad", Belle had lost interest and turned away, she loved to play with my model trains and to help with things like "weathering" the buildings and cars with fine paint brushes. She was a world class little sister!

After one final heating and smacking, Voila, brass shielding, the path to a more interesting tomorrow built on the remaining Quail's regrets of today! I wondered how many years it would be before anyone noticed the third quail was MIA.

Snowy for her part bought a new laptop to use with cubes, some wireless motion sensors for the hall, and bluetooth speakers for the clubroom. She made a harness of fibre connectors to tie into the cubes. No one should notice if there were actually another power cord to the wall from Snowy besides one foe her laptop's power brick.

The Volunteers Club was now also the WIMP and Parallel World Research Club!

* * *

Snowy was so fired up prepping for another session with the cubes I had Rainbow meet me in the library with my not-so-rotten solution for her troubles that had met with Snowy and Qiana's full approval. The rotten solutions I had first were immediately trashed by them. I convinced Rainbow being StuCo president would be good for her, and even open up opportunities for getting closer to her crush Hawk. I Told her the Volunteer Club would help her out for a few months to get started.

Turns out besides being soccer club manager Rainbow was a closet weboo into anime, the romantic comedy kind. Just how many anime fans did this school have? She had even taken the time to learn some Japanese though she wasn't in the Japanese club. She said being in that club would be "bad for her brand image", whatever that meant. She kept calling me "Senpai" even when others were walking by, did she forget my name? Shouldn't she be hiding that tell-tail sign of an anime fan of using Japanese words? Oh well, since "Attack on Giants" came out anime was getting to be pretty mainstream these days anyway.

Returning to the club room, I found Snowy typing furiously on her new laptop while Qiana toyed with her phone. Suddenly there was silence, and Snowy took a deep breath.

"My preparations are complete, I'll start now"

A movie in ultra fast forward filled the front of the room. There was no one in that other club room and it was nighttime outside that window in another world for a fraction of a second. The sky would grow bright and then the asian Snowy would zoom into the room, sit on a chair with a book, and leave. Day and night blinked on and off, with just a short time when the room would be occupied. After a few days, the 8man and a version of Ms. Fiori came in, the 8man sitting on a chair each day and sometimes would talk with the Japanese Snowy. A high pitched hiss sounded from the bluetooth speakers when there were people in the room. Then there was a table and their Qiana was there. Eastern Qiana and Snowy sometimes would have lunch together. Other students came and left with requests. Outside the window summer went to fall went to winter. We had been watching this for quite a while now, and I looked over to Snowy in deep thought. Her face lit up,

"I understand, it's a Rosen-Einstein bridge with temporal roaming end in their worldline!"

"A what bridge?", both Qiana and I asked together. And this roaming, are we going to get a big cell phone bill at the end of the month?

"A wormhole where one end is moving quickly through time on their end"

Oh yeah Snowy, everything now is completely clear and we can all go home. As if!

She typed some keystrokes on her laptop, the high speed movie suddenly slowed to normal speed, the sporadic hiss turning into the voice of a crying man.

Their 8man was facing the two girls sitting together, tears in his eyes. Hey, you're making me pathetic over here in my corner of the cosmos, dude! Oh wait, I'm a pathetic outcast over here already, aren't I? Could it be you are finally sorry for being such an ass to Eastern Snowy, and giving her an apology? Should your Qiana be there for that? Their Snowy was holding her left arm and looking away and down, while their Qiana leaned forward.

"even so….I want something genuine!"

"Hikki!"

"I don't understand. I'm sorry". Their Snowy jumped up, ran to the door, opened it and after passing through slammed it.

The pink haired Japanese Qiana held a shocked and limp "Hikki's" hand, "Hikki, we have to go after her now, we've never seen Yukino like that!"

Snowy typed some more, and the whole perspective shifted and lost color, as if on a head-cam it went past a Japanese Rainbow with orange hair who was pointing a finger, after the two others who went to the bridge to the main building, so similar to our school it was freaky. We had a fish eyed view of a city in Japan, and their Qiana was hugging their Snowy, both of them crying, while 8man stood by.

That world's Snowy smiled and said something to their 8man.

Maybe there was a reconciliation of some kind.

Snowy cut the feed from the cubes.

"I've gathered a lot of data from their world, I'd like to analyze it for a few hours this evening". I smiled, I already knew I wasn't getting any today.

* * *

The next day Snowy was sleeping in her chair. She was so beautiful and her face so relaxed. She had been up all night grinding data, I guessed. I was very tempted to kiss her as she slept but remember our promise to keep such things elsewhere. We two were alone as Qiana was still talking with Bahia and Hawk and company back in the classroom.

Snowy woke and stretched.

"Yukinoshita Yukino. Yuigahama Yui. Hikigaya Hachiman. ", Snowy said and I even understood parts of two of their names and I knew those were the club members. Under the Snow, Snowy. Yui's name I didn't get. Half-something-valley Eight Banners. Even their given names were something like ours in meaning, eh?

"Augustus, had I not been so excited about scientific matters, I would have stopped that sped up view of their club after Hachiman first was forced to join the club by Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei.", Snowy said. So that was their Ms. Fiori's name. She made a grin, "Do you know why, Augustus?"

I gasped when I realized something, right after Yiu joined and left for a couple of days, we should have seen Yukino and Hachiman on the table doing…...yeah, that. Good thing Qiana didn't have to suffer through a 3D porn starring asian versions of her friends, I would have died.

"They're not in an intimate relationship", I concluded aloud.

"Correct. However I do see where they banter as we do, Yukino is fascinated with everything Hachiman says, he really is the center of her world, Hachiman is ever atuned to Yukino's mood, and much of the time he goes to extraordinary lengths for her sake even when she is angry at him..."

"So they have feelings for each other, but never acted on them", I summarized.

"Yes. And Yui also has an attraction for Hachiman, and he seems to be quite fond of her too"

"An almost love-triangle"

Snowy's mouth parted, I knew this look. This was the look when she wanted to ask me to do something that would be difficult. My energy conserving self became tired just looking at it.

"August, we could talk with them. And, maybe, we could even visit their world. There could be danger trying that, the bridge could collapse with us in it. Or something could break the equipment on this end and strand us there. But the chemistry of that world is the same as ours, in the worst case we could live there if that happened"

I pondered long and hard on that.

I walked over to her, and put my arms around her from behind and put my cheek on her head.

"Promise me, Snowy, no matter what is decided about that, that you won't go anywhere, unless I'm with you"

"I promise, Augustus"


	4. Interviews

**Red Oak Academy, Chicago.**

 _Snowy gets her phreaker on, and makes a long distance phone call_

Snowy had said just by viewing that world we had changed it a little, as light from our world had shone into that one from its mating detector. We would only be able to contact that world again in the future from when Snowy stopped recording, when we listened to Hachiman's "Genuine" request. Snowy said it was impossible to again visit a past and disturb it more, that would create a paradox nature wouldn't allow.

I suppose that's true for normal life also, we might be able to change the future but our past we only touch once. No matter how a past is touched on our first and only allowed journey, it always contains remorse that can't ever be removed. Any future will always contain even more past, so the possibility of collecting more remorse looms over us. The present then may well be the place with the least remorse.

"Eighty, why do you always consider the worst case scenario?", Qiana was miffed. Oh, did I say all that stuff aloud?

"With that soliloquy, I am ever amazed I choose to spend my present and my near future and possibly even my whole life's future with you, Augustus."

I finished fastening a "phased array antenna" under the table, I had been up late last night drilling holes, threading wires, and soldering "pin diodes" (just words to me) on a pattern Snowy had drawn on soft plastic boards. That collection of diodes was worth more than the family SUV! I volunteered to do some work after I could tell Snowy was wearing herself down as she often does when focused on a project. I can never leave her alone when I see her having trouble. I told her to rely on me more. The idea was we'd be able to make a cell phone call to Yukino, by reaching whatever matching detector like our cubes were over there with a signal. Snowy's laptop would fake being a cell tower. That should be in complete violation of radio laws of Japan over there, if not the FCC's rules over here. I knew of the FCC as the men in black who regulated my model railroad's remote controls. I think normally Snowy wouldn't be breaking rules if she weren't both hyped up and worn out.

Qiana and Snowy chose the day after Valentine's day for targeting our next big experiment, they were both curious about "how things went romantically" in that other world.

Yukino was alone in the club room, it was during lunch time. Snowy donned a headset. Yukino's HTC Android phone rang and she pulled it out of her bag. Yukino's voice, like Snowy's, sounded like a little melody even for a standard phone greeting.

"Moshi moshi"

"Hello Yukinoshita-san, I am Afraa Baraf, calling from Chicago in the United States. My school club is performing a physics experiment, and we would be very grateful if you could find it in your heart to provide just a little assistance. We are picking up traces of a particle detector similar to our own that we believe is in your building, under you. If you could confirm such a thing we'd be in your debt"

"We can talk to her!", said a delighted Qiana, quietly since Snowy was "on the phone". Yeah just on the phone, two beings of different worlds first communicate, I thought, First Contact! This should be world news but we promised Snowy to keep everything under wraps.

"Ms. Baraf, I must confess I feel as if a prank is being played on me. Why should I entertain a request from you?", Yukino had switched to nearly perfect English with just a slight accent, and was justifiably suspicious. Was she testing Snowy with the language change?

"I can assure you a prank is not the case, Ms. Yukinoshita. I believe somewhere 8 meters below you and within 20 meters to your north or south is a particle detector in some way similar to the picture I'm sending to you, that is our device.", replied Snowy with her normal Chicagoland English, well yes snooty rich girl from NW suburbs English.

Yukino considered for a moment, "Very well I shall indulge you, Baraf-san. Please wait while I retrieve keys from my club's advisor", and she walked out of the clubroom. Yukino had put her phone on mute. I wondered what reason she had given Ms. Hiratsuka.

Some time later, we heard the mute come off and her again opening another sliding door. There were brisk efficient footsteps and cupboard doors were being opened and closed. Another room was opened and entered, and soon a sound of a cooling fan was heard.

Yukino made a peculiar sound of annoyance and then a sigh with the words "Unbelievable! What were you up to, Nee-san?"

Snowy motioned for me to come to her laptop, Yukino had sent a picture to us.

Hanging off the back of a large server PC, plugged into 3 USB ports, was a thing that looked like four gray cubes in a diamond shape with bright lights in them. And there was a orange pyramid of light going upward, not as solid as the one from our cubes. A label on the device said "Yukinoshita Haruno - Senior Science Project"

"Yes Yukino, that is the device we sought. Perhaps made by an alumnus who is your older sister? If you go to the room upstairs you might see something of scientific interest".

"Please wait, Baraf-san, I'll retrieve another key for this room", said Yukino.

Ten minutes later we heard a a slight sharp intake of breath, and Yukino sent us another picture, of ourselves rendered on the ceiling of a classroom. Copying Snowy we all stood and bowed Japanese-style to the empty Service Club room in front of us, Yukino should see us on the ceiling of that classroom. We gave our varied greetings at the same time:

"Greetings from the Volunteer Club".

"Hi ya, Yukino!".

"How ya doin?'"

"Why is your appearance so similar to my own, Baraf-san? And there is a boy and girl with you whose similarity to my club mates is beyond uncanny...could it be..."

"We are all Americans in Chicago, in our world. The boy is Augustus Octavius, and the girl Qiana Ashton. We three are members of the Volunteer Club of Red Oak Academy. However we do not live in your world."

"I already suspected that was the case, as it is daytime there as it is here", said Yukino calmly. She took the whole thing rather well, just like Snowy. In fact she seemed only upset to see her sister's name on their device, just like anything to do with Rabia tweaks Snowy!

* * *

 **Yukino and Snowy talk privately, Qiana and 8man asked to leave the room for a while.**

They agreed to call each other Afraa-san and Yukino-san.

"Yukino-san, for reasons of research my computer here in the timespan of less than an hour has recorded your clubroom for months. I apologize for violating your privacy, when I realized I had secretly taken the partial stories of yours and your club mate's lives. But because of that I know something of how similar things are between both of us.

"Do you love physics, Yukino-san? Or is another subject your passion besides general reading, cats and Pan-san?"

Yukino sighed, "While I do have an interest in technical subjects, I only spread my effort on all my classes in school, to excel in them all. My life's path, my career, has already been determined by Mother according to our family's need"

"Yukino-san, I have a very manipulative mother who only controls me with guilt, without nurture. I am a tool in her eyes. She too has a plan for my life, to compliment the business of a family whose financial interests are intertwined with my own. I suspect her of planning an arranged marriage for me. But I have my own plans, and intend to demonstrate and make a case I should be allowed to pursue them, while negotiating the extent of my involvement in family matters."

"Afraa-san, to compromise and negotiate for what I want, that comes hard to me. I prefer to lay things out in black and white, so I'm ever at a disadvantage when dealing with Mother. However something, someone to be precise, has made me to think about that which I would want."

"Ah that would be your club mate Hikigaya-kun. You know in my world Augustus, who most people call "Gus" or "8man", is my boyfriend. We argue and banter and have discussions as you do with Hikigaya-kun, and we love doing projects together. I eagerly look forward every day to spending time with him. But we also are in an intimate relationship without my family knowing", said Snowy.

"So you plan to confront your family with an alternative career plan, yet your boyfriend remains a secret. Do you also have plans to reveal him to your family?"

"Yukino-san, in the USA the culture does not expect a person to remain with another for life necessarily. If what August and I have endures then I would have him meet my family after I have more leverage for the result going my own way. We don't even know if what we have for each other is "true love", but instead are willing to see where our relationship goes."

"Afraa-san, part of me envies you, but I am sure of my feelings for Hikigaya-kun and want something more permanent. But thus far I have been immature and shy in actually acting, and have not told him my feelings. I also fear how he would react, and how my friend Yuigahama would react. Such a thing could break all our friendships, perhaps. Yui also loves Hikigaya-kun.

"Yukino-san, we had a situation here with Qiana also liking Augustus but our club remains intact. Qiana has accepted Augustus' choice of being in a relationship with me. "

"Just yesterday, Afraa-san, knowing how much I treasure both of them and our time in the club together, Yui made a proposal couched in vague words. She suggested we would agree to keep club as it is until our time together at school is over, then she would take "everything", meaning Hikigaya-kun.

"What did you say to that, Yukino-san?"

"I'm ever too soft when Yui pleads, I had already passed by several chances to convey my thoughts to Hikigaya-kun. I almost agreed to Yui even as my heart sank and my eyes started making tears of regret at losing a chance to be with Hikigaya-kun. But Hikigaya-kun sensed something was wrong and rejected the proposal. Really I had failed yet again to stand up for myself, and Hikigaya-kun had saved me again but also saying something about my problems. He said I should solve them myself, and so I will"

"Oh my, Yukino-san, were you angry with Yui for proposing such a thing?"

"Oh no, even the day before she had kept urging me to give Hikigaya-kun Valentine's day treats I had made, and was willing to leave to let me talk to him alone. During our time together yesterday she allowed me time alone with Hikigaya-kun. She's given me more than a fair chance to "catch up", so to speak. I think that proposal was also her way of showing that the competition for Hikigaya-kun is now on in earnest."

"Yukino-san, did you ask your club mates for help with dealing with your Mother?"

"I have been dependent on Hikigaya-kun for too long already, and wish to show my feelings for him aren't just based on a need for help. That would just be using him. I must solve my main problem with my own hands."

"What is your main problem? Your Mother?"

"No, Afraa-san, my problem is myself. I've only lived up to expectations given me, never thought of what I alone wanted and then how try my best to get as much of those things as possible. I feel the first step to getting my life in order is to change my relationship with my family, else being in any kind of relationship won't be possible. After dealing with my family and their expectations of me, I will then pursue that other thing that I want, Hikigaya-kun.

Yesterday before we parted ways to go home, I asked my club mates if they would hear a request of mine. I affirmed I would solve my problems myself but needed help with another matter. I asked for help in arranging a small birthday party for my father who always has favored me anyway when I'm at odds with Mother, where he could meet my friends and acquaintances I've made through my Service Club"

"Ah, that could be of strategic value in dealing with your Mother, and even introduces Hikigaya-kun to half of your parents"

Yukino laughed, "Yes you understand"

* * *

 **Interview with Yui, only with Qiana**

They agree to use nicknames.

"Hi Yui! Don't you just love being in Club with Yukinon and Hikki, they're so much like my Eighty and Snowy!"

"Yes Qiana, I really love the club, and being with Yukinon and Hikki. I don't want it to ever end, even though one day I know it will."

"In my club I was in love with Eighty, but he's chosen to be with Snowy and I've accepted that. Snowy tells me your Hikki isn't with anyone yet, and that both you and Yukinon are very precious to him."

"Ah...I am scared to tell Hikki of my feelings. I don't think we're close enough yet for me to tell him. I don't even know if a girlfriend is something he wants, and I know my friend Yukinon also has feelings for him and it might hurt her if I tell Hikki I love him. That could break up our club, maybe even with nobody being with anyone. Such a big risk!

"Lately Yukino and Hikki seem to be getting closer. Hey Qiana, do you think that because things went one way in your world that means they have to go that way in mine?"

"Yui, we've seen already where Snowy has chosen different things in our world from what Yukino has chosen in yours. So no, your future is not written now but is made by your hands"

"I'm glad to think that way. And even though Yukinon and Hikki get along so well, I think there are things that are missing, like a positive and warm outlook. I think Hikki needs that so I'm not giving up; even though there is a distance between me and Hikki I'll close that distance to his heart!"

"You go girl!"

"But Yui, don't you worry Yukino might confess first and take Hikki from you?"

"Qiana, I do sometimes, but I also don't want things to be stagnant. And knowing Hikki he wouldn't answer a confession right away but would think hard about it. I'd have a chance to confess too! So I've tried to make something happen so we can all move forward. I several times tried to get Yukinon to give her Valentine's treats to Hikki, and gave them time alone together on our trip to the aquarium yesterday. I even did something not too nice yesterday, a way to get Hikki or at least make things start to happen without yet confessing to him. I proposed a deal where we'd keep our nice comfy club for now, but at the end I'd take everything, meaning Hikigaya-kun. But before Yukino could reply Hikigaya-kun rejected that proposal, saying we should instead struggle for what we want rather than rely on on a sham. I've apologized to Yukino for that, saying I got myself too worked up. And that from now on we'd be honest and true with each other"

* * *

 **8man continues his story**

The next day, Yukino was speaking, "I've spoken to our science teacher. Three years ago Nee-san made a particle detector, and received the highest grade possible for her science project. Her science teacher also remembered her being disappointed certain particles she had hoped to detect did not appear, and had made a cryptic remark. 'Ah well the things I hope for might not even exist'. "

"Her detector was given to the physics club two floors under my Club Room. I shall speak to them, if no one remembers the detector, I'll relocate it for more optimal communication with you".

* * *

What happened today, we never saw it coming.

"The remote detector has initiated connection with us, rather than us starting the connection!", said a somewhat nonplussed Snowy.

An empty Service Club room appeared in its usual spot, it was nighttime and there was the top of a server in the lower left.

A black cylinder appeared in the rear of our classroom, and we felt a slight pull in that direction. I'll instead take poltergeist rolling cubes for $500, Alex!

"Someone has made a bridge to pass matter! It's a week later over there, 3am February 22", said a delighted Snowy. Qiana looked doubtful, probably because no pretty colors were involved, that thing looked plenty ominous to me. Stay cool in front of the ladies, 8man, I reminded myself, quite coolly quenching my urge to flail my hands about my head and scream like a seven year old girl who saw a tarantula.

A woman walked out of the cylinder, and not Yukino it was a grinning Rabia. No, it was a Japanese Rabia. Yukino's "Nee-san".

"Hi there, Snowy, Qiana and 8man! I'm Haruno Yukinoshita", she said in very fine English and using western name order for herself, "Just call me Haruno. Or even better call me Big Sis. I'll be back in in an hour and a half, I'm just going to go meet up with Rabia for some scheming and conniving. Oooo, you are interesting and cute just like Hikigaya", she leaned too close to my face, poked my cheek and said with a wink, "too bad you're already taken!"

"Keep the bridge open for me, I'd like to go back home to my universe, if it's not too much trouble" She strode out the door without another word leaving even Snowy's mouth hanging open.


	5. Yumiko's Plan

**From Ralph Ziggy: Skip down to the actual chapter below if you don't care about this bold stuff. We'll kick the actual Chiba OreGairu story off near the end of this very chapter, during Yumiko and Bahia's "interview". After this chapter, real live drama incoming!**

 **Yes so far it's just been some pseudo-science techno-babble and these character "interviews" that are a guess at mindsets at the end of Season 2 / Vol 11. Those states of the character's minds are the foundation of the story that's about to begin in Chiba. Having an interviewee so our beloved characters would reveal their thoughts was the whole purpose of the loony toonz Chicago cast.**

 **Instead of sci-fi we just as well could have had a flying chibi Orimoto magic girl to link the two worlds, going "that's hilarious" when her pranks caused trouble, and "Sore Aru!" when something profound was said, but we'll save her for another day.**

 **Sure we'll still have some bits of fun in Chicago at times, and a dashes of sci-fi too because I like it.**

 **Some of the PM and reviewers were mentioning physics, it is wonderful that so many people these days are following scientists trying to understand how our physical reality works. I worked in a high energy physics lab for many years, to answer one question. Of course the "science" in this story's sci-fi is almost the purest bullshit that can be had short of waiting behind a grazing male bovine. But as aside for those curious:**

 **The "fifth dimension" I reference in the description is a shout out to Kaluza–Klein theory, which is a very early crude string theory with five dimensions. The original one Dr. Kaluza sent to Einstein in 1919 was attempt to unify Maxwell's theory of electromagnetics with general relativity. Dr. Klein came along in 1926 and threw in quantum mechanics, and his version of the fifth dimension was curled up and very tiny. My throwing in "1mm away" is just joke.**

 **Multiverse theories, of multiple universes, are many and some have "baby universes" and tiny bubble universes with some having bad values of physical constants that don't let them survive or form matter or otherwise evolve into a normal universe. We use one here in this chapter, for fun.**

 **Scintillating materials, solid, liquid and gas, are of course real and the basis for many particle detectors. Stimulated emission is real and happens in places like lasers. Extreme Delay Stimulated Emission is B.S. I made up just so the cubes could do some pretty lava lamp-type effects!**

 **Detectors that might interact with a WIMP to make particles we could measure have been attempted and some big experiments are being built. Some of these WIMP detectors will use scintillation, see Wikipedia article for WIMPS. A detector that is also a "WIMP amplifier" is nonsense, let alone one that could make ER bridge with "amplified WIMPS", that's right past crack pipe land.**

 **Heavy brass quail decorations were a thing in the 1970s, some department store chain sold them, my parents have a set of three and years ago one rolled onto my foot from a coffee table. Got revenge on that thing in this story!**

Snowy said it was best to stay away from the wormhole that lurked behind us. Yah, I was going to dangle my junk in it, Snowy, but thanks for stopping me just in time.

"It's constructed to somehow slightly repel the atmosphere but still allow entry by a human, else there would be a roaring wind from the pressure gradient. And it's not passing light or other EM which is artificial", muttered Snowy. She sighed and raised her head.

"Let's talk about something else, my mind needs a break", said Snowy, she laid the side of her head on her arms.

We sat and B.S.'d about other things, not about our Earth just being invaded by a female alien hottie from another universe.

"They're coming back", Snowy finally said, the motion sensors in the hall were to give us warning so we wouldn't be surprised by visitors. Hmm, we should equip the hall with our special janitor's closet too!

The door opened and two beautiful college girls entered with their arms around each other, laughing and smelling of alcohol. That was a problem. A bigger problem was behind them were the angelic Karpos and drill-bit haired Bahia, looking this way and that at all the weirdness going on in the clubroom. But at least now I can talk about what's been going on with Karpos. Forgive me for ignoring you these past few days!

"This doesn't make any sense at all. Do I have to wait in line to make a request?", asked an annoyed Bahia.

Karpos clapped his hands and looked very excited. "Ooo, I love this kind of stuff! I thought I'd only see it in movies", our schools little angel enthused. So very cute! He's a dude, 8man, remember he's a dude!

"Everyone can come on in and make yourself comfortable", I said, since there was zero use in trying to cover up things now, hopefully we can get Bahia and Karpos to promise to keep the secret.

"Hello Sis", said Snowy in a not friendly voice at all.

"Awww, you should be happy to see your big sister, I'll bet she loves you to death", said Haruno.

"Yes, that's exactly the case", replied Snowy without a smile.

Haruno started to reach into her bag with her arm that was not around Rabia. "Ow, it hurts! Broad spectrum antibiotics, antivirals, anti-fungals, sulfa drugs, my arm was a pin cushion!" She closed one eye and held up a finger, "Remember kids, don't wormhole without protection! Germs on another world might be slightly different!"

She reached into her bag more gingerly this time, and took out a big ziploc bag of dozens of small hypodermic needles, and put them on the table near me. Holy crap! Hey woman, do you have any idea what would go down if the Chicago PD narcs saw a collage kid handing out needles in a high school? Or the DEA?

Haruno then took out her smart phone, and Rabia held hers too.

The older women were reading off numbers that were ascending. "340….350….360….380..."

"640K of kilobucks should be enough for anyone!", proclaimed Rabia, and both she and Haruno went into fresh gales of laughter. "Do you call him Bill Gates here?" "Nope Will Gates on our side!"

"What on earth are you two doing?", asked Snowy.

"Oh just a little arbitrage. The laws of nature won't let us directly send information about the future of another world to its past", Haruno hiccuped in a most unladylike way, then continued," but there is a wee little loophole."

"The remains of a small universe from the Big Bang are between our two mature ones, we can use it as a memento pad for a very small amount of information. ", continued Rabia who then failed to stifle a little belch in time with her hand.

"So, you two saw a prenatally malformed Minkowski space, and the very first thought that popped into your heads is an opportunity for insider trading?", asked Snowy with fingers pressing her forehead.

"Yes, Ka-Ching! WooHoo!" yelled Rabia, pulling an imaginary slot machine lever in the air.

"We'll each have over $640 million in a couple months. We always thought we'd be the ones that danced to the puppet strings of our families, while TRYING to get our stubborn little sisters to choose to be free and seek their own happiness", said Haruno, I noticed her English had a Japanese accent when she was half shit-faced.

"But now we have a way out even for ourselves, thanks to the thing you and Yukino have finished building", said Rabia.

"Awe, we probably can't ever meet in person again, Rabia. Take care", said Haruno. They hugged.

Haruno pounded my back, "Bye bye, 8man! I really enjoyed meeting you. Let's talk again on the phone sometime!"

"Bye Snowy and Qiana! Bye Bahia and Karpos!", Haruno waved to the others and used two hands to pry her way into the black cylinder. The cylinder vanished a few seconds later and Haruno's voice came from the speakers, "Hey Snowy, tell Yukino-chan to bring some eggs and beef fillets home tonight! And ask her why she thinks Mother told me to move in with her!"

The connection to the other world cut.

"Bye Snowy, bye everyone! I've got some financial planning for my seed money to do", said Rabia who then left.

Turns out Bahia and Karpos had a request about an inter-school tennis event. Can't forget the prime directive of our club even if we're exploring other universes.

Yukino then made contact with us, from when it was daytime there though the same day. These time-skips were so weird, the way Yukino and Snowy didn't seem bothered by them even weirder. Maybe we could make an anime, "the girls who lept through time".

We told her of Haruno's little romp on our Earth. Instead of reacting as Snowy, Yukino only said "Freedom, eh?" in a very contemplative voice. Then she looked at us, her setup was projecting us in the rear of her classroom so things would seem more natural. She then looked closely at Karpos and Bahia. She stood up and bowed, "I am Yukino Yukinoshita", she said in English.

"Those would see to be our world's analogues of Totsuka Saki-kun and Yumiko Miura-san", she had messaged to Snowy.

"These are my friends Karpos and Bahia, they surprised us by coming into the room right behind Haruno-san and Snowy's sister Rabia", said Qiana.

 **Totsuka and Karpos**

"So here is someone like me in another world, and his life gives him contentment too. Now I'll always think of you when looking at the stars sprinkled in the night sky, that will make me very happy.", said Saika. "So you friend Augustus is much like my friend Hachiman".

"August is like rain clouds, he may look dark and make low rumbles when approaching, but he gives gentle help that makes his friends grow, and become stronger.", said Karpos.

"That's so like Hachiman! He does not seek out friends, but watches people from the distance. He does makes friends when people seek him out, and in his strange way he cares for people even if it hurts himself sometimes.", said Saika.

"He's always glad to see me, I cheer him up just by saying hello."

"Yes, Hachiman is like that too. He worries about his distance to those pretty girls close to him, but I never want him to have to worry about his distance to me."

"I want Augustus to know he can rely on me always."

"Yes, I want Hachiman to be my special friend forever."

 **Yumiko Miura and Bahia**

Muria speaks English moderately well, required in Japanese high school; it was an excuse to study with Hayama.

"So you have your Hawk, like my Hayato"

"Hayato will have the future his family wants, he'll live up to it. During our next year, for the second half everyone will be going to cram school and studying hard, he'll be busy studying and we won't even have our social activities. I'm so worried I won't be close to him any more", said Miura, eyes getting red.

"That's almost like Hawk, he'll be going to special law school prep sessions for the second half of our Senior year".

"Hayato's rejected every girl that ever confessed to him, and his family has that relationship with the Yukinoshita's that might be part of his future, he and Yukino have a long history together that he's never explained. Probably the first half of next year will be the end of our time together, unless a miracle happens. Because in the second half we're be doing cram school and studying for college entrance exams. So halfway through the next school year I'll have nothing to lose, I'll confess. But I'll be rejected unless something changes. How can I make a miracle happen, how can I make him want something special, do you have any ideas, Bahia?

"Well something happened with Hawk last week, it changed him so he actually started dating me!"

"What! What was it", Miura practically shouted.

"He found out Snowy and Octo were dating. He told me that he had being always hoping to be together with Snowy, but it was then he realized it would never be because Snowy wanted a different kind of man. That's when Hawk completely let it go"

Yumiko Muria thought hard, then smiled broadly and said "I see now! Thanks so much Bahia, you're the best! And Octo would be..."

"That guy you saw with the shifty eyes, bit of hair that stands up in front..the one guy in the club here"

"Yes, your version of Hikkio! Yukinoshita and Hikkio, they're pretty close friends already, even Yui isn't as close to Hikkio though she'd like to be. Yes I really know what needs to happen now! You're a lifesaver, Bahia. Thanks so much!" Yumiko Miura bowed and skipped out full of glee, a woman on a mission.

"Good luck, Miura. A girl has got to try", said Bahia to no one.

 **Chicago 8man continues**

At Snowy's condo, we were in her corner bedroom on her bed with the curtains on both walls open to watch the night city; her head was on my shoulder, and her body half on mine as we talked. The lights of the Loop skyscrapers shown in the dark to our right, headlights and taillights of cars outlined the snake of Lake Shore Drive. The angled crosses of city blocks and suburban blocks went to the horizon, and jet planes slowly circled in the sky waiting for their slot at O'Hare or Midway airports.

"Do you really want to go over there?", I asked Snowy

"Perhaps just for a short time, maybe to eat lunch in the clubroom with Yui and Yukino. We'd bring our own food for safety's sake. We'd use the medicines in the hypodermic needles Haruno brought as precaution; Yukino sent me some genomes of pathogens downloaded from their web and they appear to be identical to ours, however. It would be an incredibly dangerous venture, I want badly to do it, but I'll keep my promise and not go unless we go together", replied Snowy.

"If something were to happen, I want it to happen to both of us. If getting stranded happens, I want to be stranded with you. I couldn't bear being the one left if..."

"You know, Agustus, you are almost approaching making some kind of love confession", observed Snowy.

"Is that so?"

We were silent for a while.

"I notice you all have avoided telling their 8man, Hachiman, about any of this, he accepts Yukino's explanation of the server in the room being for an extra credit science experiment"

"Yukino and Yui agree with me and Qiana that knowledge of our world or talking to you in particular", Snowy poked my chest, " might not be good for his state of mind or his development as a person. Yukino takes Hiratsuka-sensei's instruction to "fix him" seriously in the extreme, as the single most important responsibility she's ever had given her.

"But as you know, you were not the most broken person in our club here; nor is Hachiman the most broken person over there", Snowy stated.

"But you are trying to fix your biggest problems", I replied running my fingers through her hair and along her back and hips..

"Yes, and Yukino realizes her biggest problems too".


	6. Vase

**Hikigaya Hachiman, Soubu High School, Chiba**

Watching people from afar is also one of my 108 loner skills, that's even more lonely than watching them in the same room, so it is definitely a recommended pastime for loners. I should write a book, the Loner Master Hikigaya's The Art of Alone, and if enough people in the world took it to heart, we'd have no more need for Master Sun's The Art of War. World peace through loner power!

Standing on the school roof, I saw something very out of place some distance away on the ground. Big strong quiet Yamato was talking to Yumiko, even blushing as he kept looking down. It couldn't be, he isn't confessing is he? Even that big lummox should well know that the Queen Bee of our school had room for exactly one man in her maiden's heart, and that vacancy was already filled! Sayonara, Yamato, your body will join those of fallen brothers on the altar of the ravenous RomCom Gods!

But I saw her laughing and punching his shoulder even as he bowed to her, and he laughed too as they continued talking. No, something else was afoot, she was going to help him or did help him with a matter important to Yamato, that was the sense I was getting. But since when would Yamato even speak to her without Hayama and the other's present?

After Yamato left her, she made a call on her phone. Tobe came out of the building and she spoke. Tobe reacted in a surprised way and was getting fired up. Well that condition is not so unusual for our village idiot is it? He gave Yumiko a thumbs up, and they both went back inside.

"What the hell was all that with Yumiko?", I asked aloud.

"How is that your problem?", said a world weary and irrated female voice above me, lower pitched than most high school girl's voices. Startled, I turned and saw a glimpse of black lace panties under a skirt blowing in the breeze, and above that the bored face of our school's Queen of Grumpiness. Most girls want to act warm and cute and fuzzy by default, to be known as sweet regardless of their true nature. But at our school all the majority which were of those type were more than counterbalanced by our two long haired beauties, prickly KawaATVscooter-something and arrogant icy Yukinoshita.

Kawasaki, that was it!

"Yo Kawasaki, I was just commenting on weird things in the view from up here, that's all." And no I won't comment on your lacy silky black lingerie, one of Kawasaki's hobbies was karate after all! "By the way, thanks for the chocolate treats you and your little sister made for me, you both did amazing work!"

"Weh...weh...well it was just a way of saying thanks!", said a pink and flustered Kawasaki, a little quickly compared to the normal way she speaks.

"Sure thing. See ya later, Kawasaki!", I turned to leave.

"See you, Hih...Hih...Hikkigaya-kun!", I heard a soft voice behind me. She really was a good-hearted girl, despite that delinquent-like vibe she gave people who didn't know her well.

I had reached the roof door and opened it, when behind me I heard a clang and bending metal and a short yelp. The old ladder up the side of the water tower had sheared off the top platform, its next attachment point was halfway down, and Kawasaki was hanging from the bent and swaying top of ladder, feet more than three meters above the roof. There was blood running on her leg and her sleeve was torn and showing blood.

"There's a step ladder close by, just a sec!", I yelled as I dashed. There was a four-ish meter long step ladder hanging on hooks in the enclosure that was at the top of the stairs to the roof. As fast as I could, I retrieved and unfolded the step ladder, climbed up and grabbed a bolt in the water tower's structure in front of her thighs to stabilize myself and to have another arm enclosing Kawasaki. I then put my arm under her hips and thighs, and lifted just a little.

"You can let go now, Kawasaki, I have you", I said.

I heard her inhale deeply, then she let go of the rung. She turned and grabbed me with both her arms, shaking and almost sobbing with her head on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall. Let's get you to the infirmary", I said, now also using one hand and elbow to always stay in contact with the ladder yet still using both arms to hold her, very slowly descending. We reached the rooftop and I wondered how badly her leg was hurt. No new blood was running. "Can you walk on that leg?", I asked.

She just held me more tightly, not saying a word. So I put her in a "princess carry", that's what a Romance novel would say, though this was a medical emergency, not a romance! I walked very carefully down the stairs, with my elbow over the railing for additional support and safety.

Reaching the infirmary, I was glad to find our school nurse in it.

"I'll wait outside, the nurse will take care of you", I said as I set Kawasaki down on the edge of a bed as indicated by the nurse. She still didn't let go of me, though. I patted the back of her shoulder, trying not to think of her fluffy hair on my arm and cheek.

"You're safe now, Kawasaki. So you don't have to be upset any more".

Kawasaki slowly lessened her grip, but then was looking up at me with red eyes and face wet with tears, and her hands remained lightly resting on my collar bones. Please don't look at a guy that way when you're so close to him and have your hands on him, Kawasaki, it's bad for my heart girl!

She then put her hands in her lap and lowered her head, just looking at her fingers.

I left and waited outside the infirmary door. I called Yuigahama and told her Kawasaki had been hurt, and that she needed something to replace her torn jacket and shirt. Maybe also stockings to cover bandages on her legs so people wouldn't stare. Were there maybe some sports clothes somewhere she could wear?

Yui soon came with shirt, girl's stockings and sports jacket, and I thanked her for helping. She went inside and I heard her voice.

"Saki-Saki, are you going to be alright? Hikki told me what happened and said you might need these"

"...He did?...Thanks. I owe you one", she then muttered "Why do you and Ebina always have to call me Saki-Saki?"

"It was no trouble at all, Saki-Saki, don't worry about it", said Yuigahama who then laughed.

The two girls came out, and Kawasaki turned to me, head downward but then her eyes slowly looked up to me.

"...Thanks... for...helping me out up there and also here". She turned red, and then turned and started to walk away.

"Not a problem", I said after her.

Kawasaki stopped and half turned. "You know, you're... you're really a good guy, Hikigaya-kun".

Then she resumed her walk down the hall.

"Yes Hikki is, that's for sure!", said Yuigahama.

Please ladies, just stop it, A guy gets wrong ideas from a nice girl's kind words, and then misunderstandings happen and in the end his soul is crushed like a bug by a repulsed woman. The audience roars with laughter while credits for the episode roll. The viewers instead should be crying into tissues for me, I mean for the pitiful protagonist!

* * *

 **Yumiko Miura**

When I was a girl, Mother told me a story of a vase, a gem and a monkey's paw. The sun was shining into a big heavy painted earthen vase, and the monkey peered over the edge and saw a beautiful sparkling gem in the bottom of it. He wanted to take the lovely gem home, for monkeys often steal and collect shiny things. The vase had a long thin neck, the monkey could barely squeeze his hand into the vase. But after doing so he could touch and even hold the gem. But as long as he had his paw in a fist around that splendid gem, it was too big to remove from the vase. The vase had a wide bottom and was too big and heavy for the monkey to either tip or move. The monkey could let go of the gem, and pull his paw out, and so go home with nothing. But it was impossible to take his paw out, except he let go of that dazzling gem he coveted so much.

The vase was not the trap for the monkey, but instead the monkey's own mind was the trap. There was something he wanted that he could not let go. But neither could he have that thing.

I am imagining Hayato as a gem that made his own vase of many ringed sections, those sections are our friends. He is very happy and comfortable inside his vase. He doesn't want the vase to come apart and so he protects it. He is inside our clique and I can even hold his arm to go into a haunted house or have him hold me for a moment to keep from running into a fence. Yet I can't have him as my very own, he is not mine.

But I am not a monkey, I'm a human woman. Though that vase had value for me, had beauty for me, I will be smarter than that monkey, to go get a rock and beat that vase. Beat it until the neck breaks or a big hole is made in the side or the whole thing is smashed. For I've decided the gem is more precious to me than the vase.

There are some feelings between some of the boys and girls in our group, but we all were afraid to upset the thing we have. Well except for loud Tobe but he never did get to confess.

Our time together is coming to an end, the senior year will have us very busy preparing for our next step toward the adult world. I don't exactly know which things I can crack, but there are at least four weak places in Hayato's vase.

I know big strong Yamato has feelings for Yui. Tobe likes Ebina, and she was happy to share chocolates with him at the event before Valentine's day but there has been no confession between them. And Hayato still watches out for Yukino, I've seen that several times this school year. But Yukino is fascinated with another man.

And then there is myself, my love for Hayama Hayato will now be the biggest and most fatal flaw in his vase.

The one thing that makes me hesitate is thinking of warm and bubbly Yui, for I see she is getting close to Hikkio and I believe she wants to be his girlfriend. But she hasn't confessed either, maybe being the same as I've been until now, and so her chances too will slip away. If what I plan works, it's almost as if I'm taking away something Yui wants, to let another girl take it, and Yui will have a broken heart. But I tell myself she has had her chances for the man she fancies, spent almost the whole school year with him. Love is selfish, and I deserve to win the man I want if I make an effort, more than she does.

* * *

 **Hachiman**

Fire queen Yumiko came to the club today again with our school prince Totsuka. She was speaking of a change of venue for what was going to be an inter-school tennis competition for charity.

"We're going to have badminton games instead of couples tennis. And because badminton involves even more running than tennis though less upper body strength, we're going to have a special kind of badminton. It's going to be "couple of couples badminton matches!"

"Couple of Couples, what exactly does that mean", inquired Yukinoshita.

"We're going to be considerate to everyone, since probably no one will be used to badminton. We'll have two groups of couples from each school alternate playing a game in the matches, so first one couple will play a game, then another will switch in so the other couple can rest. That way players can better keep their stamina up during a match!"

"What an interesting twist", said Yui, getting enthused. Not a surprise, new things will get our Yuigahama excited, she's like a puppy.

"Yukino and Hachiman, I'll admit you two made a great team for tennis. We'd like you to be one of the teams for this badminton game; just think Yukino, you can get rest while another team is playing and so keep your strength at its peak!", Yumiko said with a smile. Wait, did I just get volunteered for something that would take sweat and effort, and not even by the boss but a client? This is a blacker than black company! Our black company will of course pay me time and a half for this overtime too, 1.5 times zero!

"While there might be some negative implications in what you said, still I find the idea of being able to compete always at my optimum level very appealing", Yukinoshita was also getting fired up, appealing to her competitive nature always bore fruit.

"We have a couple weeks to practice, so our couples can learn to work together. I've put together a list of pairing I believe will be very strong"

"Hayato and Totsuka-kun here will make a great team, Totsuka-kun has become a player with strengths of speed and accuracy. Hayato has strength". What Miura just said made a kind of sense, but...

"Wait...you're not going to be paired with Hayato? And Sai-chan and Hayato are both boys!", objected Yui, echoing a thing I was wondering about her team choice, why wasn't Yumiko taking an opportunity to be with Hayato? Did something change between them?

"No, I'm going to be too busy with organizing and meeting with the other schools to be in the games this time. And our rules don't say girls have to be with boys, the other school we know will have at least one girl-girl team."

"Yamato is extremely strong and has great endurance, Yui you can rely on him as your partner"

"Wait, waaaah? Miura, why am I paired with Yamato?"

"Yui, I've put a lot of thought into my team choices, please trust me and help me out with this event"

"Well, OK Mirua….", Yui had just a bit of doubt.

"Tobe is very energetic and fast in sports, he'll be paired with Ebina who is strategic". How lucky for Tobe, he'll be talking about that nonstop. That will be really annoying.

"Did you already talk to your other friends about this?", I was curious.

"Oh yes, just before coming here and everyone was cool with it. I just needed to talk to Yui and now that's been done.", their imperial Queen declared.

"As our teams practice against other, we'll follow the resting schedule the real matches will have to keep everyone at their very best.", Yumiko gave Yukinoshita a smile, "During that resting time each couple will evaluate their opponents on video playback, and also themselves. That way we'll make each other better".

Yumiko certainly was showing a different side of herself today, but I couldn't help recall my observations from the roof earlier.


	7. Texting

**From RalphZiggy: vacation over, back to corporate slavery, updates to stories will be much much slower**

Hikigaya Hachiman, Chiba, Japan

Just Yukinoshita and I sat in the club reading, the club would last only an hour and then we'd go to badminton practice. Even the soccer club was on Yumiko's "short schedule". Yui was being detained by Yumiko for badminton coordination activities once again, we haven't had Yui in club since the day the project kicked off, come to think of it.

I heard the rhythm of her breathing change, there was a pair of inhalations and exhalations close together, and I peered over the top of my book with a look of questioning. Yukino raised her hand, and she cleared her throat while moving her head in a unique way while executing the Japanese manner of signaling an important thing to her was about to be spoken. I had always thought it was cute to see so dignified and proper a young lady use that particular social custom. Ahahemnon I wish I had a looped recording of the three times I've seen of you do that.

"As we will be working closely together for this request of Yumiko's, I thought it might be more efficient for us to have a means to exchange ideas and team critiques when not at school. Would it be possible, Hikigaya-kun, for me to hah...hah...have...your phuh-phone number?" Yukinoshita cheeks and ears were turning pink. It's not that big a deal, Blushinoshita, just an addition to contact list that fits on one screen with room to spare, I've never needed the gesture to scroll it. We could say that un-scrollable contact lists are a plate in the Impenetrable Loner Shield!

"Ah sure, here", I walked over to her and handed her my phone. She made a sharp intake of breath, and then with extreme speed tapped in her information to my iPhone. Wow, for a dyed-in-the-wool Android user she had no problem using my Apple product. She then entered my contact information on her phone with my full name. She sent "test" as a text which was properly received by my phone, sent from Yukinoshita Yukino. So unlike Yui's contact names!

"It is done. Thank you, Hikigaya-kun.", smiling she seemed suddenly too happy as she handed my phone over. I sent a reply "received" that properly was registered on her phone.

"Not a problem", I said. I returned to my seat and I continued reading. A page later I looked over the top of my book, and Yukinoshita was holding her phone with two hands, just looking at the screen.

After club we changed and played badminton, Yukinoshita and I demolished all our other teams, two-thirds due to Yukinoshita's insane antics of course, but also my extreme control was a help. We rested and talked with Hayama and Totsuka who we had just thoroughly thrashed.

"Hachiman, you're form is excellent in badminton too, just like tennis", praise from the school's little prince made me hope I wasn't blushing.

"How can Totsuka and I improve?", asked Hayama.

Yukinoshita and I used one of the tablets Yumiko had provided to go through the video of the game as Hayama and Totsuka stood behind us and watched, and we began to seriously undertake our request. Sometimes Yukinoshita's hand would brush mine if we both tried to work the screen, or my hand would contact her hair. You're sitting so close, woman, but my battle hardened emotions wouldn't fall prey to this RomCom situation! I saw Yumiko out of the corner of my eye, slight smile on her face as she was looking our way. Yeah, probably admiring Hayama no doubt.

Yui and Yamato were behind Tobe and Ebina, but Yui kept looking our way. She was definitely unhappy, probably wanted to be talking to Yukinoshita, and not stuck with that big ol' Yamato.

* * *

 **Textings:**

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _Pardon my intrusion into your evening, Hikigaya-kun, are you currently busy?_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman:

 _I was about to feed Kamakura but then I'll be free if you wish to discuss badminton_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino:

 _You should not be texting with people if you have not met all your cat's needs!_

 _Feed Kamakura at once, and ensure his water bowl is clean and fresh!_

Oy woman! You were the one who texted me. In retaliation I will in a few minutes make you envious of my middle class suburban life, catless rich girl!

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _Kamakura has been watered and fed, and is now happily sleeping on my lap._

I took and sent her picture proof of my blessed cat owner life, to make Yukinoshita green with envy of course, and to bring her realization that her rich and pampered lifestyle was was in fact completely deprived of feline goodness.

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _Fortune smiles on you this evening, Hikigaya-kun. Be very thankful and also very careful not to disturb Kamakura_

We then went to texting of matters of badminton and our colleague's performance, and how their personalities were reflected in their performance, in my performance (with insults of course) and Yukinoshita's style and whether she should be more energy efficient rather than so crazy acrobatic and aggressive…

Over ninety minutes had gone by, I had just sent more texts to one person than to all other contacts on my phone combined for this year.

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _Good night, Hikigaya-kun. Please continue to stay still for Kamakura's sake_

From: Hikigaya-Hachiman

 _No longer an issue, Kamakura left me to go be with Komachi_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _I am relieved he has chosen to improve the quality of the company he keeps_

I went to my bedroom to begin homework and study.

From: Yukinoshita Haruno

 _My my, Hikigaya-kun, Yukino-chan just sent more texts in 90 minutes than in her entire life before tonight._

 _I peeked at her phone while she's taking a bath._

 _Try not to think about Yukino-chan bathing, Hikigaya-kun_

That's right, her older sister was now her roommate. And damn you, Yukinoshita Haruno, now you've put erotic images into my pure and innocent mind...

* * *

The next day I was laying down on my desk before homeroom, listening to music. I became aware of a figure looming over me, I looked up to see our Queen of Grumpiness with an expression I couldn't read.

"….good morning...Kawasaki", I said, recalling her name for once rather than going through a mental list of motorcycle companies and products that used petro engines.

"…...You know, Keika-chan is going to be in a music show at her daycare center Thursday, and she asked if Ha-chan….uh you could come see it."

I thought of the inconvenience and cost in effort to myself, but then also thought of my promise to play with Keika-chan again someday, and also of how cute she was and how fun it was to poke her soft chubby little cheek with my finger…

"Yes, I'll go see that. What time does it start". Thursday we didn't have badminton practice, but I'd have to ask to leave early from club.

"4:30pm, but….. Keika-chan also wondered something else", Kawasaki was going to make another request of me, will this take physical effort?

"She wanted to know if you could come over to dinner afterwards. ...It….. It'll just be plain food. I'm cooking rice curry. But it would make her very happy if you could be there", Kawasaki said that last part a little rapidly. One part of my brain though that would be the first time I've ever been invited to a girl's house for food, another part thought Free Food! Well, I should not pass up a chance for free food, that would violate my core ethics.

I thought of all the times I made rice curry for Komachi when she was younger, before she took over cooking for us both, and how I had honed my skills to make curry more interesting. I was now a master curry chef, driven to perfect my art for the love of my dear little imouto Komachi!

"You know, Kawasaki, I used to cook rice curry for Komachi when she was little, and I know how to add some things to plain curry that little girls will really like. We could stop at a grocery store and pick up some ingredients on the way to your house"

Kawasaki actually had a delighted look on her face for once, a look I had only ever seen before bestowed on her little sister'.

"That would be really great! We'll be cooking for three big people and two kids. Keika-chan will be really happy. Thanks Hikigaya-kun". She practically skipped back to her seat. Well, that was understandable, curry was a gift of the gods to family after all!

I looked over to Hayama's group, they were all about badminton now discussing their performance. Though Yamato was talking with Yui, Yui was looking my way appearing somewhat unhappy.

* * *

"Ha-chan!", Kei-chan was attached to my leg with bug antennae on her head and wearing a dress with squares having all colors of the rainbow. Kawasaki stood behind her holding large brightly painted wings to attach to her back.

"So you're going to be a butterfly flying around flowers?", I asked her

"Uh huh!"

Later Kawasaki was wondering about the best place to stand for pictures, as she said the children would be moving all around the stage as they sang. I suggested I could be on one side with my phone camera, and she could be on the other. That way we'd be sure to get some good Kei-chan idol performance photos for her hugest fan.

After watching a show of children singing and jumping and dancing, Kawasaki and I were comparing pictures while we waiting for the children to pour out of the room they were using as a "stage wing". Nothing made Kawasaki have a happier look than Kei-chan photos!

"...could..you send those pictures to me? I can…. type in the number for you!", Kawasaki looked as if she expected refusal, but of course I wouldn't keep an older sibling from pictures of their little sister. Little sisters are our most precious thing in life, after all! Komachi, I'm sorry I've haven't been taking enough pictures of you lately, forgive your older brother!

I let Kawasaki put in her number on my phone, she was very slow at it, not surprising any phone's social features wouldn't be her forte. I put her full name in my contacts, if I put Saki-saki and she saw it, her karate katas wouldn't consist of beating and kicking at air any more!

"Let me send a test message"

I sent "testing" to her number. Her phone made a sound.

I showed her how to save a contact. I noted I only had one blank slot left in my non-scrollable contacts list. Then I sent Kawasaki the photos. She was cradling her phone with utter contentment as she looked through the pictures I had taken.

Then Kawasaki was very slowly pecking away at her phone, with almost furious level of concentration.

From: Kawasaki Saki

 _Thank you for the pictures, Hikigaya-kun_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _No problem_

Kawasaki was staring at the screen for a while. Did she forget how to back out of the texting mode?

We then went grocery shopping, Kawasaki was very good at that it turns out. A couple of old people embarrassed us by saying we had such a cute little daughter, humans always make assumptions that shape their view of reality. We had an argument over who would pay, but I said the extra ingredients were my fault and so I should take responsibility.

At Kawasaki's house her parents were not home, that's why I suppose Kawasaki was cooking. That poisonous insect Taishi would be home soon too.

We made separate little pots of curry. Curry with meats, and vegetables and fruits, all the variations I had in my mental Onii-chan Recipe Book to Delight Imoutos.

"Tai-chan", Kei-chan said as the front door was opened.

"I'm home! Hello Onii-chan!", Taishi said but he wasn't looking at his older sister. Don't call me Onii-chan, you pestilent little bug, I'll step on you!

"Is it true you're practicing badminton for an inter-school match, Onii-chan?", What is this? Have you been in communication with Komachi, you diseased louse?

"Yes, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we practice and critique each other from videos we make. And stop calling me Onii-chan"

Kawasaki spoke up, "I'm pretty good at badminton. I could..we could..have a little practice during lunch tomorrow against each other, maybe I could give you some pointers?"

"You don't have to concern yourself, Kawasaki. It's not your problem", I replied.

"Just let me do it, OK?", Kawasaki was suddenly irritated and that delinquent aura of hers really was scary. OK, OK, let's have a peaceful dinner, stress during meals is unhealthy for the whole family!

"Well OK, Kawasaki. We could do that, I suppose. And thanks for taking the trouble".

Kawasaki was smiling, "and I'll bring a lunch for us so you don't have to run to buy bread. The bento might be a little bit ...ordinary. But it'll be good, OK?" The tone was more like she was telling me than asking me, and I knew better than to refuse this plan.

"uh..OK that sounds good, Kawasaki"

Kawasaki and I didn't really talk that much more for the rest of my time there, instead Taichi asked me questions about high school clubs and activities between schools. But I was seeing Kawasaki being strangely cheerful, maybe that's just her default state that only her family sees?

After I said goodbye to everyone, and saw Kawasaki wave for the first time, I was led to the door by Taishi since Kawasaki was cleaning up in the kitchen.

"I've never seen my Onii-chan look hso appy during and after meal time before. Thanks for coming over, Onii-chan, I hope you'll come visit my sister again sometime"

Still calling me Onii-chan, what insidious scheme involving my precious Komachi is going through your mind. It will never see the light of day!

"It was fun. See you later", was all I said aloud though.


	8. War Starts

**From RalphZiggy: One more chapter squeezed out this weekend, was too excited about the Saki/Yukino ongoing battle for Hachiman, had to write it! back to work tomorrow though, story updates slower!**

On the court, Kawasaki was fast and strong, much more intimidating an opponent than even Hayama! The shuttlecock was a blur always going far from where I was. I was glad to see her injuries from the other day weren't affecting her at all. Her instructions to me were curt and short, hands making small gestures, and given with a grumpy edginess that implied she really would be annoyed to have to repeat herself. I offhandedly told her she would a good sports or martial arts coach.

"Re..really?, Kawasaki said, getting pink. "Let's have lunch now, the period is almost over".

Besides pieces of vegetables and fruit, there were eel and salted roe rice balls. They actually weren't plain at all, they had spicing and and full flavor.

"These are very good, Kawasaki!", I said as she was waiting for my opinion before starting herself.

"oh. Thanks, Hikigaya-kun. My mom helped me a little".

"So you are getting additional badminton instruction, and free lunch as well", said a chilly voice behind me.

"Yukinoshita. Yes Kawasaki gave me some good pointers today, and was kind enough to share a lunch, she really has advanced badminton skills", I said. What's with that slight glare woman, don't you want me to hone my skills to be my very best for our Club's request?

"You needn't be troubling her with your deficiencies, Hikigaya-kun. I can train you during lunch if you have free time. And I can provide a properly balanced lunch to increase your performance on the court"

"Hey, do you have some kind of problem with what I'm doing?", said Kawasaki with her voice hostile. Uh oh, the atmosphere has suddenly changed around here, for the worse.

"I was only suggesting that you needn't trouble yourself unnecessarily for Hikigaya-kun's sake. The badminton event isn't within your purview after all, Kawasaki-san. Hikigaya-kun is my responsibility", Yukinoshita's voice was very cold.

Stop it, girls, animosity during lunch is bad for everyone's digestion, primarily it's bad for MY digestion!

"I really doubt you have my level of experience in badminton, Yukinoshita-san", said Kawasaki, hey did she ever address other people by name before?

"I will take that as a challenge, Kawasaki-san. Let's see who can score the most points against the other in twenty minutes tomorrow!. And let's both bring half a boy's lunch and see which Hachiman judges is superior", Yukino delivered those lines slowly and in a manner that made my blood run cold. Don't I get a say in this, and beside my mother told me not to be picky!

"Fine", said Kawasaki testily.

"Ladies, please let's not fuss over someone unimportant like mys…."

"You will be here on time tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun", commanded the Ice Queen.

"Don't miss it!", warned the Queen of Grumpiness.

"You guys, there's no reason to be getting angry, the badminton tournament is supposed to be fun!", said Yui who had just arrived.

"I am not angry, Yuigahama, I am just seeking economy of effort!"

Yukinoshita turned, flicked her long hair over her shoulder, and marched off.

"Thank you for the training and the delicious lunch, Kawasaki", I said, hoping to restore a good mood in my immediate surroundings.

"You are welcome, Hikigaya-kun. I'd ….like for us to do this again, after I put Yukinoshita-san in her place"

She collected the bento box and walked away, leaving Yuigahama and myself.

I was wondering how much friction this would make with Yukinoshita, though wouldn't it be more logical for me to be gaining badminton points from other experienced players?

Yuigahama looked very sad, where had I seen that expression before? It was at the aquarium on Valentine's day.

"Hikki, you're really getting close to Yukinon and Saki-saki lately, aren't you?"

"In some ways, mainly having to do with badminton, though I did go to see Kawasaki's little sister at a musical, her little sister likes to play with me. Then we made curry at her house".

"You were cooking with her?! ….I think Saki and Yukinon really like you in a special way. And….Hikki...I wish I was able to spend more time with you now, but it seems I have to always be away doing project work".

"Don't worry, things will be back to normal when the badminton tournament is over"

"I wonder about that, Hikki"

"We have the birthday party for Yukinoshita's father this Saturday, we'll all be together then"

"I'm kind of scared of that, to be honest"

We walked back to our next class without saying more.

* * *

The twenty minute match between Kawasaki and Yukinoshita was an epic thing that will not be soon forgotten in the history of Soubu High, many students started to throng around the modified court. I've never seen a shuttlecock in play for so long, nor move so fast. Both girls could see through each other's feints and always seemed to know where the birdie was going as if they could see into the future. The awed Totsuka next to me was saying the two and half minute rally we just witnessed would be beyond world record length had it occurred in an official match. The score at eighteen minutes was ten and ten and Kawasaki and Yukinoshita were both yelling like tormented demons in a rage. I shivered and couldn't help thinking of Akame vs. Esdeath but with ending uncertain and unknowable. This was all on my account? The twenty minutes had expired with no more points, it was still a tie.

Students murmured as both girls unsteadily wavered in their path to me, utterly exhausted. I unscrewed and handed each of them a liter bottle of water. They flopped on the benches drenched with perspiration and panting. Both pointed for me to sit between them, making the murmurs of the crowd grow even louder. They each handed me a bento. I opened them, gave thanks, and tried food from one then the other. I continued until everything was consumed.

"Thank you both for the wonderful lunches, I could tell you each put great effort into them. Kawasaki's is the kind of food for daily life of a family, to comfort and give strength. Yukinoshita's is the kind of food for special occasions and parties, when people commemorate and celebrate. I will not say which is better, for they are both best for those varied purposes"

Both girls were smiling, but still were too exhausted to speak.

"Let me get you two some towels and cold water to help cool off", I said.

The crowd was still there when I returned. I wondered if some weird rumors would start.

* * *

It was Saturday evening. Isshiki, Yuigahama, Shiromeguri-senpai, Hiratsuka-sensei and myself, we went to a private room in the back of a banquet hall and met Yukinoshita Toyozo. We were introduced by Yukinoshita Yukino to her father with various summaries, the description for me that was "member of my Service Club, and an acquaintance of some sort". There were name tags on the table, indicating where we should sit. I gulped when I realized I would be sitting across from Yukinoshita-san, was that Yukino or Haruno's doing? Haruno was there with her father too, but sat at a table corner to give her sister's friends and loner vague acquaintance seats closer to the guest of honor.

Handsome, strong, younger looking than my dad though actually five years older, Upper House Diet Member Yukinoshita-san made everyone feel like he was their best friend. He was interested, he radiated interest, in Isshiki and Shiromegori's student council experiences. He bellowed with laughter while smiling broadly at me of Isshiki's mention and indication of me as helping her to get elected. "Yes, I've heard a bit about your political strategist!".

He talked of pop stars with Yuigahama and education system problems with Sensei. Also, he had a couple beers with Sensei and Haruno while his youngest daughter scowled.

I found myself talking to Yukinoshita Toyozo about similarities in Japanese vs. American politics, a popular move by one candidate to "make America great again" vs. "Abenomics'" similar appeal to past greatness, seeming to target older people in an aging population who remembered better times. But Japanese voters seemed more able to be turned to vote for another party than America's voters who had a party loyalty, and we talked of what people wanted and expected from government vs. what a government could in reality deliver.

I could only keep up because as a voracious reader I of course read the news at night; well that and my having observations on how people are ever making mental images as a herd apart from reality, and acting on hopes they built according to them. Yet the degree and way older people did that had some differences from youth, I was explaining my opinion to Yukinoshita-san. I realized everyone in the room had stopped talking for quite some time and were watching the politician and the social outcast converse.

"Hikigaya, Yukino has been frozen like a statue since you and I started talking, you are the most important person in this room to her!", the father proclaimed and gave her daughter a grin, and I thought of my father teasing Komachi. I wish Yukinoshita-san had used someone else in the room for that, though!

"Father!", gasped Yukinoshita, clenching her fingers on her lap.

"Can't I tease my daughter once a year?", he ruffled the top of Yukinoshita Yukino's hair while she gave an embarrassed smile, yet she was not recoiling nor looking in any way unhappy as she did with her mother and to lesser extent older sister. Was she Daddy's favorite little girl?

"You're an interesting character, Hikigaya. You remind me of one of my strategists who always looks for worst case scenarios and the darkness in people!".

Haruno laughed at that, "I told you Dad, isn't he a card?"

"Well, I see a cake with enough candles to burn down a fortress, let's have cake everyone!', Yukinoshita Toyozo declared.

When the party was over Yukino and her father left together by limousine, Haruno had driven herself.

* * *

My lazy Sunday afternoon was interrupted by a muted chord of chimes from my phone, unlike the bird tweets I used for Komachi.

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _So you intend to continue training with Kawasaki-san_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _Yes, it seems logical to get tips from more than one source_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _The "comfort and strength" of "food for a family" also is a factor?_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _You didn't lose the competition yet you write like a sore loser_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _I can also cook meals that would comfort and strengthen a family._

 _Tomorrow evening instead of discussion of badminton via texting, you can come to dinner and discussion at my apartment_

 _I will prove my capabilities_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _There is no need to actually go to the trouble, I certainly believe you could do such a thing_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _I was not requesting you come_

 _I am telling you that you will come as part of Club duty for Yumiko's request_

This Black Company's management only grows more onerous! Haruno is at that apartment too, two Yukinoshita sisters at the dinner table? Scary!

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _Very well I will be delighted to come_

 _Seeing I have no choice in the matter whatsoever._

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _Do I detect a bit of sarcasm, Hikigaya-kun?_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _Your sarcasm detector is in dire need of calibration, upwards_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _My father did not hate you, I am relieved_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _I am not yet a voter nor taxpayer, I am useless to politicians at present_

From: Yukinoshita Yukino

 _Only to politicians? Your census counter is in dire need up calibration, upwards_

 _That aside, can I call you right now, just for a couple minutes?_

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _Sure go ahead_

"After the birthday party, I was able to talk to my father about my future plans. He will help me negotiate with Mother; he promises me Mother will see my point of view. I am going to try to obtain what I want in life", said Yukinoshita.

"Could it be you might change your career path at school to technology and science?", I asked.

"Yes. I do want to continue to be close to you and Yuigahama, but I can do that while studying what I really desire. I should not have been immature and changed based on being close to friends. That said, beyond what I study my Mother had some plans for me which I will not accept. That is the matter in which my Father will provide aide. My Mother is powerful in my family, really responsible for most the wealth and connections, however Father can and will at times override her."

I thought of our words together in front of the giant tank at the aquarium.

"That is very good news. Is this what you would call breaking a glass wall?"

"Yes, this fish is going to try. ", said Yukinoshita laughing. "Good night, Hikigaya-kun, and thank you"

"Yes, good night. But thanks for what?"

"I wonder", said Yukinoshita laughing some more, and she hung up.

From: Yukinoshita Haruno

 _Surely it can't be, my dear little Yukino-chan was just on a phone call at night with a boy?_

Does she monitor her little sister 24x7?

From: Kawasaki Saki

 _Remember practice Monday at lunchtime._

 _Don't buy bread I am making bentos._

 _You will enjoy the lunch I'm taking the trouble to make._

From: Hikigaya Hachiman

 _Yes ma'am!_

Loner Hikigaya Hachiman texting and have phone calls from girls at night, and being asked to lunch and dinner by girls, what is happening to this world?, I wondered.


	9. War and Peace

**Yukino's Apartment**

Yukinoshita Yukino let me inside her apartment filled with delicious scents of dinner, but Haruno was the first to speak.

"Hi Hikigaya-kun, I'll be away for three hours tonight. You know after Mother saw you and Yuigahama coming home with Yukino-chan, she told me to move in to keep Yukino-chan from getting into trouble with boys. Mother has plans for her and myself too, but things may not quite go her way! See you both later! Feel free to get into as much trouble as you like, you two!", and with that Haruno left.

Yukinoshita's meal was indeed hearty and with simple ingredients though perhaps with advanced knowledge of subtle herbs and spicings.

"Yes it is very good, Yukinoshita, but I expected it to be so. I'll agree you have the skills to cook for a family, though there really wasn't any doubt", I honestly told her.

Yukinoshita blushed and said "Thank you, Hikigaya-kun", very quietly.

While drinking tea and eating cake after dinner, Yukinoshita started the conversation with questions about Kawasaki.

"You and Kawasaki-san seem to be getting along quite well", she noted.

"She is a very interesting person, one has to get past her rough exterior but then will see she has some amazing qualities. Rather like another girl I know", I said.

"Would you like to get closer to her?", asked Yukinoshita after a long pause.

"I would very much like to get to know her better as a person, and spend more time with her. If you saw her in class, she's always bored with everything and looking out the window. But after seeing her in cram school, I know there is some dream she has, she is looking past her drab present to something better. Maybe she would share what that is"

"Hikigaya-kun, I wish to apologize for being rude to you and her, it seems I was jealous to have someone close and important to me spending time with someone else. That's perhaps another immature side of myself. I will apologize to Kawasaki-san too, I should be happy that the both of you could want to grow in friendship with another person, and so I will be.

"My dream for myself is to go into medicine, to both help people and research problems yet unsolved. But I don't want to play into my Mother's hands with this, she would only have me be physician in Hayama family business, what I want is quite different. And Mother has other long term plans using me as a pawn", Yukinoshita continued, sharing a bit about her future she wanted.

"I have no idea what it's like to be in your situation...but if I had disagreement with my family I'd try to negotiate something with them. That might be hard for someone who loves to think in terms of absolutes and black and white, but it might be the only way", I said.

"I'll think about what you just said, Hikigaya-kun. And…..thank you very much. I wonder if you just answered the request I made at DestinyLand!", she smiled at me.

Yukinoshita then looked down for a while, drew her breath and asked "How about you, Hikigaya-kun? I've heard your plan of being a house-husband, but that may not be likely realistically. I've heard you say that probably you will just end up "a corporate slave", as you call it. But there are options in-between those, say as a freelance writer who works at home. I've seen you do amazing work in our writing projects, and your language grades also are excellent. Maybe you need to negotiate with yourself", she said with a kind of smug look.

"That might be something I should consider, also the study of society and the human mind is of great interest to me. But I'm not greatly worried yet about my future. Thank you for being concerned, Yukinoshita, and I'll think about what you said, you might actually be right"

"I would guess your family isn't forcing you toward a future"

"True, they aren't. My father only wishes me to have something different, better than what he has as a corporate droid"

"Hikigaya-kun, I sometimes think about your request for genuine understanding with another person. My hope is that with you and Yuigahama and Isshiki we could work on deeper understanding of each other. That means shared time and shared experiences, we have some of those already. It also might mean telling hopes and dreams to another, and supporting each other".

"I would be happy if we all tried that with each other"

We were silent for awhile, enjoying tea. We each had our boundaries with the other, but if we agreed to bring those borders nearer to our personal selves, activity worked on doing so, could we someday have that genuine understanding of each other?

* * *

 **Hikigaya's Room**

That night I was thinking of the problem how to approach Kawasaki, to get to know her better in a way that she would be comfortable. How to be a welcome guest in some of her thoughts but not an intruder. Perhaps first speaking of my thoughts about my future, vague as they were? Was there some Kawasaki would like to do, where we would also have chance to talk? I thought of activities in the past with Komachi, Kawasaki certainly would like those family-oriented ones.

* * *

 **Soubo High School**

I arrived at school to very different kind of atmosphere than normal. The clique almost didn't seem to exist, except Tobe and Ebina were talking excitedly to each other ignoring everyone else. But none of the others were standing together or talking, Hayama was the most unhappy of the bunch just staring down as his desk. Yumiko worked her phone quietly, Yui just sighed from time to time, and Yamato and that other quiet kid just sat at their desks playing games on their phone. Yumiko had pretty much burned her clique to the ground, and I knew exactly why she had done it. But that left a loose end...

A memory had surfaced in the forefront of my brain, that of Hayama at the camp activity saying an initial of someone he liked, "Y". Yumiko could reset her relationship with her group to try to go for what she wanted, but deep in Hayama's heart there might be a shrine with fortified walls. But Yumiko had paired me with Hayama's childhood friend "Y" though, hadn't she. Well aren't you the chess master, Fire Queen? I saw the whole picture now, but I also knew that my acts in my relationships with Yukinoshita and Kawasaki couldn't take that into consideration, I had to work on my genuine feelings towards them and leave Yumiko and most of her clique to stew in their own juices.

Except for one person important to me affected by these machinations, I had to have a talk with Yuigahama about this.

* * *

 **Courts at Sobou High**

After fierce practice with Kawasaki, we sat and ate bentos together. Plain and good, the signature Kawasaki kitchen product, I complimented Kawasaki and thanked her.

"Hey, Yukinoshita-san is still sore at me?", asked Kawasaki in her gruff way.

"No, in fact she is going to apologize to you soon. That came up in conversation I was having with her about my future", I replied.

"Well, writing that house-husband thing on your career paper was retarded, if you ask me", said Kawasaki with a slight grin.

I laughed, "Still my first choice, Kawasaki, but I do love writing too. I think I'm going to compromise and become a freelance writer, that way I can stay at home and avoid being in a corporate cubicle prison"

"Huh...that actually could be a good idea. And handy for a working wife...", Kawasaki was thinking.

"I want to go into biotech myself, I think the day will come when people can grow most of the items they need, even clothes, houses, furniture...maybe even computers and vehicles...", Kawasaki was getting enthused!

"Kawasaki, that's amazing! I've never thought along those lines", I said quite truthfully. Science to me was boredom, but tying with a hopeful future for mankind and career plan….no wonder Kawasaki was so bored with our school, and looking out the window to something none of the rest of us could see.

I now tried something risky, to ask something even more personal of Kawasaki.

"Kawasaki, several people here have enjoyed working with you on school projects. Like me I'm sure you find most people here boring and annoying, but maybe there are some people you might like as acquaintances or friends?"

Kawasaki sighed and said, "I used to be popular, and had a lot of friends. I was dating Yuu, the most popular guy in our class. But then he dumped me for another girl that transferred in. Since everyone was Yuu's friends it was like ...everyone kind of dumped me too.

"I was really ...close together with Yuu….", she turned red, "….and now I kind of feel like used goods that no one would want." Kawasaki was very embarrassed now and just looked at her fingers, I think she was testing me to see how I saw her after knowing such a personal thing.

"Kawasaki, you're not 'used goods', you wanted and had something most of us wish we did if we were honest. I'm sorry it didn't work out because your boyfriend didn't value you enough, shame on him. But you shouldn't look down on yourself or let anyone do that to you"

Kawsaki looked up, and said, "That's easy to say, but suppose you wanted to date a girl and you found out she had been ...really close together….with another guy in the past. "

"I wouldn't hold a past dream that didn't work out against her", I said.

"...really….", said Kawasaki very softly.

Yukinoshita came by, and did something rare in this universe. She bowed to Kawasaki, "Please forgive my jealous immaturity, Kawasaki-san. I need to learn to value the people that those close to me value, not be envious. I should be happy, I will be happy, they want to get to know other good people. Thank you for teaching Hachiman, and I hope you two get closer"

"Uh ...sure..Yukinoshita-san. It was fun playing against you, I'd like to do it again sometime since no one else here gives me any challenge."

"Well...I do have low stamina though, but if it was with a time limit like before, and there was twenty minute rest, I could even do three games"

"Yeah, let's do that soon, how about Thursday. Hachiman can be referee and water boy". Oy! Did I just get volunteered for work? Both these girls run black companies!

"I shall look forward to it"

Yukinoshita left.

"Hey Kawasaki, this Saturday there is that walk-in butterfly house exhibit at the zoo. Would you like to bring Kei-chan and go with me? I'll rent a stroller for Kei-chan, and I'll make and bring the lunch...well actually Komachi might help me a bit with the lunch". Yes dear Imotou, you've also just been volunteered, I'll text you soon.

Kawasaki gasped while I was saying that, and said a bit quickly, "Yeah, I'd like to do that. Where should we meet up?"

* * *

 **Soubo High Hallway**

I asked Yuigahama to come into the hall with me between classes. I supposed direct and blunt would be the best way, especially since next class was five minutes away.

"Yuigahama, Yumiko destroyed your clique on purpose, because she wants Hayama to have no reason to refuse a confession from her. And she is pushing Yukinoshita and I to be together because she believes Hayama secretly holds a torch for Yukinoshita, Yumiko is burning down all the bridges. And from things that Hayama has said, and from something I overheard at summer camp...I think Hayama indeed still feels that way about his childhood friend."

"Hikki, I already know what she is doing, and how Hayato feels about Yukinon. But I still have my close friends at the Club right?"

"Yes, Yuigahama, you still of course have us."

"I'm so glad. I see you're getting close to Kawasaki-san, Hikki. Do you like her?"

"Right now I just want to get to know her better as a person, she is really very interesting and a warm person underneath that delinquent attitude she gives everyone by default"

"...oh, I see...", Yuigahama didn't look all that happy, that monster in my brain I had been ignoring finally got a little attention, and thinking back at many shared events I believe I understood Yuigahama's feelings for me. But right now I was interested in someone else, that was the plain truth of it.

* * *

 **Hichiman's Room**

That night Yukinoshita called. She had finished a long strange phone conversation with Hayama.

"Hayama actually apologized to me for valuing superficial relationships with others over his childhood friend. He said that's ever been a source of regret for him. Certainly I forgave him, but he also claims to want to have a genuine friendship with me. "

"To agree to that, it's something only you can decide, and only you two can pursue", I replied

"Well I might agree to a limited probation period to just see where things lead", said Yukinoshita.

"Hey Hikigaya-kun, Hayama's words reminded me of your request for something genuine. Have you been influencing him? Maybe you contaminated him with Hikki-germs?", Yukinoshita was giggling.

"Oy, you mean my awesome philosophies have somehow enlightened some of the masses!", I retorted. "Anyway, the situation in our class has become bizarre, but it was Yumiko's doing"

"I suspected she's been up to something"

"Yes she pretty much destroyed her own clique, and ...I believe wanted to get the person Hayama has long secretly loved to be paired with someone else"

"...well I suppose that's all not surprising.. But I won't and can't worry about her petty games be what decides my relationships."

"I agree, I told that same thing to Yuigahama earlier today when we were talking about what Yumiko has done"

"I should talk with Yuigahama-san now"

"OK, Yukinoshita, see you later, bye!"

"Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun"

* * *

The next day before school, Yumiko entered the class crying while a relaxed Hayama followed her in. Hayama rounded up his posse, calling a dudes meeting out to the hallway, leaving all the girls that used to be in his crowd. Yumiko then suddenly gathered everything, stood up and ran down the hall the other way. That was the last we ever saw of her, later we'd learn she was scolded and even rejected preemptively by Hayama! She had transferred out of Soubo High.

The club room seating was different today, Hayama actually was sitting across from Yui and on Yukinoshita's left hand. Yukinoshita was laughing and poking Hayama, calling him "Hayo-chan", and Hayama calling her "Yuki-tan". I could only think Yukinoshita had reverted to a carefree middle school version of herself.

"Hikigaya-kun, Hayo-chan has applied for Service Club membership. Hiratsuka-sensei has already given verbal approval"

"….Hayo…..chan…..pfffffft…...bwha…...bwhahahahah", I held my belly and roared, " ..and…*gasp*..Yuki-TAN…...HAHAHAHA!", I started pounding the table.

"Hikigaya-kun, while I probably would tolerate you calling me Yukino so long as I can call you Hachiman or perhaps Hachitrash or Hachivermin, please don't use my childhood nickname again or you will be punished. I really don't like Hayo-chan using it either, and Hayo-chan need I remind you that you are on a trial/probation basis right now as my acquaintance?"

"Yes ma'aam!", both Hayama and I said together.

* * *

 **This ends the pure OreGairu story for those that jumped right into chapter 6 from ...that forum. You can jump out now, story is back to Chicago nuthouse if you don't care for sci-fi and loony bin antics!**

 **In the anime there was that scene after long drive at night with Hiratsuka-sensei and Hachiman. If you look at carvings on railing there is "Kawasaki + Yuu, true love forever". Nothing is by chance in anime, folks! And I think the black lace panties are symbolic. Yup.**

 **From stats counter there are sixty unique people round the world still reading this, thanks very much**


	10. Meet and Farewell

Qiana, Snowy and I crossed over to another world, communing with two beings not of our Earth. Wooooo-Wooo!, so scary right? Nah, they were 100% Japanese high school kids, and other than being in a club room in a school in asia nothing was that unusual at all. Well but for that black cylinder and our own clubroom where the back wall would be, and the sight of heavenly angelic Karpos watching out for anyone coming down the hall back in our world. Beautiful Karpos being there made it all good!

We all sat with sore arms, having inoculated ourselves. We were eating the lunches we had brought, Snowy made ours and Yukino had made hers and Yui's. We mainly just talked of the everyday things going on in both our schools, nothing major. Even to how casual the USA was about hugging or kissing or even sex compared to Japan.

"So your Hachiman seems to be interested in Kawasaki Saki, who is something like our Nat. Yukino, do you still like Hachiman?", asked Snowy.

Yukino coughed on her rice ball, and then said "well I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still going to try to get closer to Hikigaya-kun. But I also know it's wrong for me to try to interfere with him getting close to Kawasaki-san, it's amazing how far he's come since he first was dragged here by Hiratsuka-sensei! I hope to at least be a special friend to Hikigaya-kun even after high school ends. Clearly even the futures of our two universes can be written by our own hands, it's not cast in stone"

Snowy made a mischievous grin and elbowed Augustus, "Sooo...do you have 'the hots' for Nat that you haven't told me about?", she used English for the two words.

"No, she's pretty and she is warm-hearted even though' bass-ass' on the outside, but I've never even wanted to pursue being closer friends with her, that's the truth, Snowy", I said using two English words for the one phrase.

"Bad...ass?", said Yui, understanding the first English word but faltering at the second.

"Augustus, please don't corrupt this sweet warm Japanese girl's English vocabulary. Augustus only means that Nat seems like a delinquent but really is a good girl on the inside", said Snowy laughing.

Qianna said, "Well this could be a fun thing, to go on vacation between worlds! Could we have inter-school sports between universes? Maybe that would help everyone get along better, like even between countries in our own worlds"

Yukino and Snowy laughed.

"Well, there is just one problem that Yukino and I see, that these gateways between universes could be used in a bad way, to be used in war. It really would be rather easy to use the bridges to scrub life off of any part of either Earth."

Qiana was shocked, "Oh No! There's no way to keep bad people from doing that?"

"Only these two universes are near each other, in a manner of speaking, there doesn't seem to be any others reachable except for that primitive malformed one that Haruno and Rabia used for insider trading, but that one has no future and no past.

"We might visit each other's far future to keep anyone from traveling to any point in time when the Earth is habitable. We'd do it with just a minimum of light trickling across. In 350 million years, the Suns of both solar systems will have expanded so that the Earth's temperature is more than boiling. If we access those times from each other's worlds, then that builds a 350 million lightyear diameter bubble around each world that can't be visited. But that also means no one can ever again visit in that time frame.", Snowy's words were going right over my head, and Yui and Qiana certainly weren't following either.

"So you're thinking of shutting the door and letting each universe be a loner from now on?", I asked.

"How very much like Hikigaya-kun you are, Gus-san", said Yukino with a smile.

"Hachiman is a wise man, too bad you guys won't let me meet him", I said.

"Well, his rants are very persuasive, even if not entirely logical, and that's the problem with them", said Yukino chuckling. "I fear for the future of two universes if ever you two met, it would make a 'Singularity of Cynicism' devouring all that is hopeful"

Lunch period was almost over, when Yukino suddenly started. "Someone is coming down the hall...it's Hikigaya-kun! And we can't widen the bridge for transit fast enough!"

"What'll we tell him", asked a concerned Yui.

The door slid open, my own voice but with Chiba accent said "Yo! Hiratsuka-sensei was wondering…."

He looked at me, Qiana, Snowy, the big black cylinder and that other clubroom projected on the back wall with a waving beaming Russian Totsuka Saiki saying "Hachiman!" over there.

"...Ah, so you're the gods of romantic comedy", he finally deadpanned.

"Hikigaya-kun, could you perhaps go buy a MAX Coffee for yourself, my berry drink for me, and an orange soda for Yui? And take about fifteen minutes doing that?", said Yukino very politely and yet with a Ice Cold Beauty's voice of command that mortals must not disobey.

"Sure", Hikigaya Hachiman turned and left.

We said our goodbyes, Karpos joining in. Yui even gave us all hugs, then paused as she still had her hands on my shoulder. "It's...normal in America...right?", asked Yui.

"Just the cheek, Yui", said Snowy smirking.

"Normal, yes?", she asked as she then quickly kissed me on the cheek.

"Uh...sure! Normal!", I affirmed a bit too loudly.

"Yui, we may have to fumigate your lips now", said a cross Yukino, with arms folded and looking away to the side. "Hmmpfh!"

We returned to our club room, and Yukino and Snowy closed the bridge and did a kind of sealing off of our world's futures from each other. Then made our cubes, even the ones at Fermilab and at Zimo's house, and also Haruno's science project, burn out like old light bulbs.

 _The End_


End file.
